Introduction

For as long as she can remember, Dana Clarke has longed for the stability of home and family. Now she has married a man she adores, whose heritage can be traced back to the Mayflower, and she is about to give birth to their first child. But what should be the happiest day of her life becomes the day her world falls apart. Her daughter is born beautiful and healthy, and in addition, unmistakably African-American in appearance. Dana’s determination to discover the truth about her baby’s heritage becomes a shocking, poignant journey. A superbly crafted novel, Family Tree asks penetrating questions about family and the choices people make in times of crisis.

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Excerpt

Chapter 1


Something woke her mid–dream. She didn't know whether it was the baby kicking, a gust of sea air tumbling in over the sill, surf breaking on the rocks, or even her mother's voice, liquid in the waves, but as she lay there open–eyed in bed in the dark, the dream remained vivid. It was an old dream, and no less embarrassing to her for knowing the script. She was out in public, for all the world to see, lacking a vital piece of clothing. In this instance, it was her blouse. She had left home without it and now stood on the steps of her high school—her high school—wearing only a bra, and an old one at that. It didn’t matter that she was sixteen years past graduation and knew none of the people on the steps. She was exposed and thoroughly mortified. And then—this was a first—there was her mother–in–law, standing off to the side, wearing a look of dismay and carrying—bizarre—the blouse. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. One of the major themes of Family Tree is the discrepancy between the face we show to the public and the one we
see in the mirror each day - the difference between who we say we are and who we really are. This arises in different
contexts in Family Tree. What contexts can you identify? Is this dichotomy one that you have seen in your own life or in
those around you?

2. Eaton's personality was shaped in part by who he feared he was. Identify and discuss these different aspects of
the man.

3. Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, "The lady doth protest too much." The same can be said for various of the
characters in Family Tree. Who are they, and in what ways do they overcompensate?

4. Dana lost her mother at the age of five. How did this event shape her personality? In what regards is she more
needy? In what regards is she stronger? How did this early unexpected event prepare her for the surprise of Lizzie's
birth?

5. In Family Tree, the term "passing" can be applied to different characters in different ways. Who are these different characters, and in what ways have they "passed?"

6. Have you known someone who has "passed," either racially, religiously, or economically? Is this a common
phenomenon? Prior to reading Family Tree, were you aware of the "one-drop rule?" Have you ever seen evidence of
that sort of discrimination?

7. Halfway through the book, Dana says of her marriage, "I thought it was perfect. Well, it's not, and maybe it never
was, maybe that was an illusion ..." Do you think that the perfect marriage exists? The perfect relationship? What role
does illusion play in the relationships we foster? Is illusion determined by our own needs?

8. Dana hypothesizes that Hugh would never have married her if she'd had brown skin, because as open as he claims
to be, an inbred elitism would have surfaced back then. Do you agree with her assessment? Do you think it is possible
to change beliefs that have been ingrained since childhood? Can you site examples from your own life in which you or
the others around you have "reverted" in some ways as you have grown older?

9. When Ellie Jo breaks her ankle, Dana finds herself challenged to do more than a new mother should be doing.
Undaunted, perhaps bull-headed, she thinks, "She could do anything herself, if she wanted to badly enough - could do
anything herself, if she had to." Is this a mother thing? A woman thing? Can you site examples from your own life where
you or someone else has felt this way?

10. Though Hugh remains close to his former client, Yunus El-Sabwi, he understands that, like other Arab males,
Yunus has trouble talking about personal family matters, and that keeping silence and a stiff upper lip is a matter of honor among such men. But is it only Arab men who feel this? What about Western men? Are they more forthcoming about
personal matters? And if not, why not? Honor? Pride? Stubbornness? Competitive instincts?

11. When Dana and Hugh arrive in Albany, Dana insists on carrying the baby herself. She considers Lizzie her
security, proof that she is loved. Given the circumstances, is she justified in feeling this way? What dangers are involved in this? Do you know people who have unhealthy ties to their children?

12. When Dana meets Jack Jones Kettyle, he says that he simply stopped thinking about Liz Joseph when she left
school. He explains it as follows: "The choice was between pining forever over a relationship that wasn't to be, or
moving on. Putting Liz behind me was the only way I could survive." Is this attitude cold and calculated? Is it
compatible with the idea of a priest who cares for all people? Are there other characters in FAMILY TREE who have
experienced variations on this theme? Is there a lesson in his words for Dana?

13. On the day Ellie Jo has her stroke, Hugh makes the analogy of life as a chronological chain of change, whereby
each distinct link alters the direction, however slightly, of a person's future. Do you agree with this analogy? What other links might Hugh have had in mind, beside the one of Ellie Jo's impairment? What are some of the links in your own life?

14. Eaton accuses his brother Brad of suggesting Hugh's marriage is shaky to compensate for Brad's own daughter's
divorce. Likewise, Ellie Jo accuses her cousin Emma of starting rumors about Ellie Jo's Earl to compensate for Emma's lack of any husband at all. Do you think these accusations are valid? Do you see jealousy as a major problem in families? Among friends? Have you had personal experience with this?

15. With the results of the sickle-cell test, Dana suddenly sees Hugh as "more human." Do you? How do you define
"human?" If you were to pick one word to describe Hugh prior to getting the results of this test, what would it be?

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