Dreamland Burning

In the novel, there is tension between what is legal and what is right. What is one instance of an illegal action that one of the characters commits that you believe is the right thing to do? What is a legal action in the book that you believe is wrong? How do the two actions compare?

There are several parent/child relationships in the novel. Some of them are happy and supportive, and others are not. Compare two parent/child relationships. How do these relationships inform the actions of the children?

How does Dreamland Burning comment on the way we create narratives of history? Are Will and Rowan reliable narrators? Why, or why not? Do you think their versions of events are complete? What perspectives might you like to include?

When Will meets Ruby, she latches onto him and starts visiting him weekly. We hear Will’s side of the interaction, but what do you think it is about Will that draws Ruby to him? Be specific and use examples from the text.

Research the events in Tulsa that occurred from May 31 until June 1, 1921. Based on your findings and the details in the book, do you think that the event should be called a riot or a massacre? Why? Choose another word to describe the event, and explain why you think it fits.

The novel is centered on racialized violence both today and in 1921. How do the events in 1921 inform your understanding of racialized violence today? What do you think the author is suggesting as a potential solution?

Over the course of the novel, several white people change the way they view and treat people of color in relation to themselves and their own whiteness. Choose two of these characters (other than the two narrators). Compare their journeys in terms of the way they see race.

In the book and in real life, a single incident—Sarah Page screaming and accusing Dick Rowland of assault—led the riot and changed everything. What’s one other moment in the book that has much bigger ramifications? How might that moment have gone differently for a better outcome?