Discuss storytelling in the novel. The novel is full of legends, both of the master artists of the previous two hundred and fifty years and of the stories that have been passed down for generations. The storyteller's performances are also an important part of the novel. How is storytelling an art form? How does it relate to other art forms? What is the religious significance of storytelling in the novel?

Discuss the shifting point of view in the novel. How does this technique contribute to the meaning of the novel? How might the novel be different if the author had used a third-person omniscient point of view?

How are women treated in the novel? How does Shekure make that work for her (or not) to get what she wants? How are Esther and Hayriye, the other two women in the novel able to get...