Here are some suggested book club discussion questions for Yakimali’s Gift. Please let me know in the comments if you have any to add. Thank you!
- What are some of the book’s themes? How important are they?
- How would you describe Fernanda’s outlook on her life in the beginning of the story, and how does that outlook change by the end of her journey, how has Fernanda grown?
- Do you think Fernanda has a good relationship with her mother? Her father? Her brothers? Describe those relationships.
- What role does Feliciana play in Fernanda’s life?
- What are some of the ways Fernanda’s perspective on the Indians change along the journey?
- Fernanda is torn between Nicolas and Miguel. What are some good and bad qualities of each man?
- How do Miguel and Nicolas grow/change by the end of the journey.
- How are the racial conflicts portrayed in the story similar to those of today?
- Fernanda is confronted with two religions, one from her Spanish background and one from her Pima Indian background. Describe some of the differences and similarities of the two religions.
- How significant is the butterfly symbol to the plot or characters?
- How does the setting figure into the book?
- How would the book have been different if it had taken place in a different time or place?
Linda Covella, Author 