The Door of No Return Discussion Questions and Review written by the Hobbit . This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Read
Book: The Door of No Return
Author: Kwame Alexander
Length: 406 pages
Age suggested: 12+
Release Date: September 27th, 2022
Genre: Poetry, History, fictional biography
Warnings: Death of kids, slavery, rape implied, bullying
Quick The Door of No Return Summary
Kofi lives in a village during the 1800s in what is now Ghana. He is eleven, likes a girl, has a best friend, is bullied by his cousin, and adores his older brother. His life is upended following a tragic accident in a wrestling match between villages. This book, which is the beginning of a trilogy, begins an exploration of slavery with settings that are primarily in Africa.
Why Read The Door of No Return
(Spoilers Beyond this Point)
The first half of the book was a coming-of-age story. It was intriguing, and you definitely wanted to see what would happen as Kofi challenged his cousin to a swimming competition. The second half of the book was difficult to read. Kofi’s brother accidentally kills a prominent youth from another village in an annual competition that the villages hold. Although it was accidental, the other village seeks revenge. This ultimately leads to Kofi seeing his brother die and begin the process of being sold into slavery.
Most of the book is in freeform verse. The setting is in the mid 1800’s. The story provides a look at various cultural items, such as the quoting of proverbs, and using translated Twi phrases. The inhumanity of humans to other humans is seen in the last half of the book, but the beginning is a great story of family.
Favorite The Door of No Return Quotes
“We are each branches of the same tree. It does not matter that we go in different directions. The roots are one.”
“Kofi, we dream to heal our memory or to face the unimaginable truth. Dreams are hints from the beyond, but they can also be warnings.”
“Stars are the eyes of the past watching over us.”
-The Door of No Return Quotes
The Door of No Return Discussion Questions
Themes to Discuss: Friendship, Courage, Conflict, History
1. Kofi is quite shy about expressing his interest in Ama (although it is evident to her). Have you ever had difficulty expressing how you feel about another person to them? Why?
2. Kofi looks up to his older brother Kwasi. Who are some of your role models?
3. Betrayal and revenge, over what are seen as past and current wrongs, are an important part of the plot. Why is revenge wrong?
4. What did you learn about the culture where Kasi lived?
5. People today still believe that other people are inferior to them, for many reasons. What does this story tell us about prejudice?
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