Are you a teacher of hispanic literature, latina studies, literary fiction, latin american studies, caribbean literature, contemporary fiction, puerto rican literature, women's fiction, or afro-puerto rican literature? Here's a guide to including Daughters of the Stone in your curriculum:

Questions to Ask

1. In which ways are the characters informed by their dreams?

2. What is the legacy passed on by Fela? Is it a gift or a curse?

3. What are the different ways of knowing?

3. In what ways do they change as we get closer to the present?

5. Who is The Lady and what role does she play in their lives?

6. In what ways are the women outsiders and what price does each pay for being different?

7. What does the stone represent to each of the main characters?

8. How does African mysticism/spirituality manifest itself in the life of each woman? How does it change with the move to each different culture and time period?

9. In what way does guilt/remorse affect each of the main characters?

10. How does language change/evolve from book to book within the novel?

11. How is language acquired, lost and reclaimed throughout the women's lives?

12. How do the different characters express their creativity?

13. Sleep plays a major role in this book. What is the function of sleep in each of the main character's lives?

14. How would you characterize the Tomás/Fela relationship?

15. What is the significance of storytelling in this family?

16. How does "the gift" manifest itself in each woman's life? How does it change over the course of the novel?

17. The structure of the novel is cyclical. Why does it begin and end in the same place?

18. What does the stone symbolize?

19. Escape is a major theme in the novel. How does each main character deal with this issue? What is she escaping from and what is she hoping to find?

20. What is the most important legacy left to you by your ancestors?