The lines Samona recites at the end of the book were first delivered by the abolitionist Sojourner Truth at the 1851 Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. It is said that the Women's Movement grew largely out of the Anti-Slavery Movement. Ask students to choose and research one of them and share their work with the class. Discuss the similarities and differences between these struggles for equality. Finally, discuss Chantal's position as a young American woman faced with her family's expectations and traditional roles of women in Haiti.
People come to live in the United States from all over the world for many reasons.
Have students investigate their ethnic heritage and countries of origin. Ask them to imagine what it must have been like for their families to adjust to a different way of life in America. Use cultural information about Haiti from the book to get students excited about discovering the different foods, expressions, music, clothing, games, customs, and religions of their countries. Organize an international food festival for which students prepare and bring in dishes representing their heritage. Discuss the New World experience of ethnic groups by examining varying degrees of acceptance and prejudice.