From its riveting first paragraphs, Whitegirl immerses us in a world where truth and lies, love and betrayal, identity and the search for it, are swirling in uncertainty. Charlotte Halsey and Milo Robicheaux began their marriage deeply in love. But now she is unable to speak, recovering from a violent attack that almost took her life. Her husband languishes in jail, accused of trying to murder her. But she doesn't know whether he is the one who attacked her, nor does she know whether to trust any of her memories about their life together. The media have an opinion, as always: Milo is a famous black actor and Olympic ski champion, wed to blonder-than-blond cover girl Charlotte. Now, as she recalls her gentle college friendship with Milo, the abusive boyfriends in her past, and her career as a professional beauty, she tries to understand whether her husband was her salvation or a threat to her very existence. Unfolding in a series of mesmerizing flashbacks, Whitegirl offers a revealing look at race, power, and the often-overwhelming nature of attraction.

The questions, discussion topics, and author biography that follow are intended to enhance your reading of Kate Manning's Whitegirl. We hope they will spark interesting conversation about this provocative novel and its themes.