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Book Club Questions for Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez

Book club questions for Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez explore the ideas of gender, class, race, identity, beauty, and much, much more!

What does it take to follow our dreams? What is the depth of political power when sports intersect with gender? How do we stand up for ourselves and chase the dreams we hold dear? How do we find our voice in a society that’s sexist and patriarchal?

Furia is a Reese’s Book Club pick and selected as a a best book of the year by the New York Public Library, Cosmopolitan, and many others! It is a powerful story that will captivate you with its enriching, vivid dialogue and mesmerizing scenes. You will feel pulled by Méndez’s magical prose and cheer for the lead of the story, who will aim to pursue her goals while battling herself against the odds.

The Synopsis

In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life. 

At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father. 

On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university.

But the path ahead isn’t easy. Her parents don’t know about her passion. They wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol—and she needs their permission to go any farther. And the boy she once loved is back in town. Since he left, Diego has become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Camila doesn’t have time to be distracted by her feelings for him. Things aren’t the same as when he left: she has her own passions and ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied. As her life becomes more complicated, Camila is forced to face her secrets and make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her.
 
Filled with authentic details and the textures of day-to-day life in Argentina, heart-soaring romance, and breathless action on the pitch, Furia is the story of a girl’s journey to make her life her own.

Book Club Questions for Furia

1. Why is Camila given the nickname “la Furia,” and how does she embody “fury” both on and off the field?

2. The book opens with the line “Lies have short legs.” In the novel, what lies does Camila tell herself and others, and what lies is she told?What are the effects of those lies?

3. Ni Una Menos, which means “Not Even One More,” is a feminist movement that began in Argentina that condemns violence against women. What role does the Ni Una Menos movement play in Camila’s life? How do the general attitudes toward women and violence in her community affect Camila’s decisions?

4. Camila has a complicated relationship with her brother, Pablo. How does Pablo’s fútbol career affect Camila’s family life? In what ways does Pablo help Camila, and in what ways does he fall short of being the big brother she wants him to be?

5. When a green flag signifying the pro-choice movement is waved at Camila’s first fútbol match, someone complains, “Don’t bring politics into the game!” How are politics central to Camila’s life as an athlete? How does this relate to other debates about the role of politics in sports?

6. Camila looks to la Difunta Correa, a saint who died trying to save her husband, for protection throughout the novel. What does the story of la Difunta Correa say about expectations for women in Camila’s community? In what ways does Camila struggle with these expectations, in her family and her romantic relationship?

7. What scares Camila about seeing Luciano in his La Valeria uniform on the bus? How does the risk of injury haunt an athlete’s career? How does seeing Luciano affect how Camila reacts to her own injury?

8. How does the relationship between Camila’s parents weigh on their family? Why do they stay together even though they both seem unhappy? How does Camila’s relationship with each parent affect the decisions she makes and the secrets she keeps?

Bonus Book Club Questions for Furia

9. While tutoring at El Buen Pastor, Camila thinks: “Karen and I were on different paths headed to the same destination: Freedom, a place as mythical as heaven.” What is the freedom both girls seek? How might Karen’s love of literature inspire her to live a life similar to or different from Camila’s?

10. What changes in Camila that finally causes her to tell her mother the truth about her love of fútbol and to stand up to her father?

11. Throughout the story, Camila calls on the strength and memory of her female ancestors. How have those women contributed to where Camila finds herself at the end? In what ways is Camila paving the way for the women who come after her?

12. In the last line of the book, Camila’s reply to Diego is “the one and only.” What does this say about her personal growth? What do you think this means for her future with fútbol, Diego, and her family?

Selected Reviews

“In this stirring novel by Argentine American author Méndez, passion for sports and personal growth intersect in Camila’s powerful, feminist first-person narrative about her experiences as an ambitious athlete, a teenager deeply in love, the daughter of an abusive father at the point of taking charge of her own life, and a young woman finding her voice in a deeply sexist, patriarchal society . . . A riveting coming-of-age story.”

“With a mix of Spanish words, vivid dialogue, and rich description, Mendez paints a realistic image of a young woman battling to become herself against the odds . . . A powerful and realistic novel.”

Weaving rich cultural specifics and electric energy into her prose, Méndez crafts a dynamic, feminist narrative that commands attention from the very first line. At its core, this novel is a full-hearted love letter to Argentina and “incorrigible girls” everywhere, emboldening readers to stand up for themselves and chase the dreams they hold dear.”

Additional Recommendations

Love in Color by Bolu Babalola
love_in_color_bolu_babalola

A high-born Nigerian goddess, who has been beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover, longs to be truly seen. A young businesswoman attempts a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life. A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether she should uphold her family’s politics or be true to her heart.

In her debut collection, internationally acclaimed writer Bolu Babalola retells the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology with incredible new detail and vivacity. Focusing on the magical folktales of West Africa, Babalola also reimagines Greek myths, ancient legends from the Middle East, and stories from long-erased places.

With an eye towards decolonizing tropes inherent in our favorite tales of love, Babalola has created captivating stories that traverse across perspectives, continents, and genres. Love in Color is a celebration of romance in all its many splendid forms.

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
behold_the_dreamers_by_imbolo_mbue

Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, has come to the United States to provide a better life for himself, his wife, Neni, and their six-year-old son. In the fall of 2007, Jende can hardly believe his luck when he lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Clark demands punctuality, discretion, and loyalty—and Jende is eager to please. Clark’s wife, Cindy, even offers Neni temporary work at the Edwardses’ summer home in the Hamptons. With these opportunities, Jende and Neni can at last gain a foothold in America and imagine a brighter future.

However, the world of great power and privilege conceals troubling secrets, and soon Jende and Neni notice cracks in their employers’ façades.

When the financial world is rocked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Jongas are desperate to keep Jende’s job—even as their marriage threatens to fall apart. As all four lives are dramatically upended, Jende and Neni are forced to make an impossible choice.

Happy reading! ❤️

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I love to read and I enjoy exploring a range of genres including contemporary and historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers, nonfiction, and memoirs. If you would like me to review your book, feel free to reach out to me!