BOOK CLUBS

Welcome, Readers & Book Clubs!

I’m so grateful you’ve chosen Seeds of the Pomegranate.

This novel began with a single memory—my grandfather’s silent account of surviving a tenement fire—and grew into a story about the hidden forces that shape our lives. At its heart is Mimi, a young Sicilian woman whose dreams of freedom lead her into a world of secrets, danger, and unexpected alliances.

I write about the spaces between what’s spoken and what’s left unsaid, and about the quiet ways women find strength when the world expects them to stay silent. I’m eager to hear which moments resonated with you, which choices surprised you, and how Mimi’s journey speaks to your own experiences

Thank you for reading and for welcoming me into your conversation.

With gratitude,

Suzanne

Discussion Guide

Download a printable PDF with book club questions.
Click Here!

Topics include:

Family loyalty vs. self-preservation
Gender and power in underground economies
The immigrant experience in 1900s New York City
Art, forgery, and truth-telling
Inspiration from real family stories

Invite Me to Your Club
I love joining book clubs—virtually or in person when possible!
Click below to request a visit:
*(link) Book a Book Club Visit

Host a Themed Gathering!

Serve olives, bread, citrus, and red wine
Try a dish like caponata or risotto, serve lemonade and biscotti cookies
Play Sicilian folk music
Use pomegranate imagery as your decor

Explore the Art and Culture Behind the Story

Use our Pinterest for inspiration Click Here!

The Art (Matisse (Joy of Life), Monet, and Vincent Van Gogh;
along with Mary Cassatt and Elizabeth Gardner)
The Persephone Myth
Sicilian nobility (Golden Book of Sicilian Nobility, etc…)
Mimi’s tools (paints, brushes, burins, copper plates, ink)
Clothing (veil and mantle; clothes worn by aristocracy; clothes in NYC)
Sicilian sayings
Map of NYC?

Book Club Discussion Guide Seeds of the Pomegranate
By Suzanne Uttaro Samuels

Discussion Questions:

1) Origins and Secrets

Mimi uncovers the truth about her family’s past and her father’s criminaldealings only gradually. How do secrets shape the choices of different generations in the novel?

2) Mimi’s Dilemma

What did you think of Mimi’s decision to go along with the counterfeiting scheme? Was she trapped, complicit, or both?

3) Women’s Power and Powerlessness

How do women in the novel exercise influence—in families, businesses,
and the underground economy? Who surprised you the most?

4) Art, Authenticity, and Deception

Forgery and religious iconography are central to the story. What do these
themes reveal about the line between truth and survival?

5) Migration and Identity

How do the characters navigate cultural identity—Sicilian, Italian,
American—especially in the face of poverty, illness, and criminalization?

6) Resilience and Resistance

In what ways do the characters “mutiny” against the constraints placed on
them? Who shows the most courage?

7) Pomegranates as Symbols

Why do you think the author chose this fruit as the central image? What
might the seeds represent?

8) Then and Now

What parallels do you see between the world Mimi inhabits and today’s
social, political, or immigrant struggles?

Further Exploration

Share a family story that’s been passed down—true, altered, or mysterious.
Reflect on a time you felt caught between two identities or roles.
Have you ever had to choose between being safe and being honest?

BOOK CLUBS

Discussion Guide

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