What is the connection between Audre's relationship with her mother and her lesbianism?

How would you describe the connection between being black, female and a lesbian in 1950s America?

Was Audre right to think that her experience as a black lesbian was different from the experiences of her white lesbian friends? Or is it better to think of them as sharing common experiences?

Why did Audre leave home? Why didn't she go back?

Why does Audre drift away from her lovers so often? What keeps her from making a relationship last?

What is the nature of Audre's draw to femininity? Is she trying to complete something she lacks in herself? Or is she simply a lesbian?

What is Audre's connection to Carriacou? How does the legend of Carriacou play into the major themes of the book?