Big Lies in a Small Town: A Novel

How is Morgan’s relationship with Lisa a subversion of the typical power dynamic between white people and Black people in the novel?

How does the mural act as a sort of totem of healing for both Anna and Morgan?

Why are Jesse’s parents so reticent about his friendship with Anna? What is the importance to them of keeping Jesse on the farm? How does race play into the Williamses’ reluctance to let Jesse pursue an arts education and career as an artist?

How is the Williams farm a microcosm of the lives of many formerly enslaved Black people?

What are some examples of the casual sexism Anna experiences during her stay in Edenton? How does that sexism motivate Martin’s attack?

In what ways does the narrative suggest that creative impulses cannot be stifled? How does the need to create and to make art rise above life’s many challenges?

What are some ways in which the art in the story acts as a reflection of life, both of the lives of the artist and of the environment of the art itself?

Why does Anna tell Jesse alone about her mother’s suicide? How does this confession reflect the depth of the connection that has grown between them?