11. Don Armand’s cacao farm in Ecuador is referred to as a “plantation,” an accurate word to describe the land, but one that has comes with a complicated history and negative connotations. While the word’s official definition is “an estate where cash crops are grown on a large scale,” it’s strongly associated with slavery, racism, and subjugation, particularly for readers in the United States. In fact, there’s an ongoing debate over whether plantation is a racist word, causing brands and landmarks such as Plantation Rum and the Cornell Plantations at Cornell University to change their names. What was your reaction to the use of the word “plantation” in this novel? What do you think about the ongoing cultural debate over the use of words that evoke the language of slavery and other historical atrocities?
12. In what ways does Puri’s experience of inheriting “La Puri” and the cocoa fields mirror how her father’s colonialism affects the family?
13. How do you think the blight that’s killing the cacao trees can be interpreted as a metaphor for the colonization championed by Puri’s father?
14. Did you know anything about Ecuador before reading this novel? How has your perception of this country changed since you read it? Were you surprised by any of the cultural and historical details that surprised or interested you?
15. When Puri arrives at the cacao plantation and sees the sign at its front gate, she learns her father had named his hacienda after her, “La Puri.” Why do you think Don Armand made that decision? Do you think it was fair to Puri–or her siblings?
16. Family and jealousy are important themes in the novel. Puri always longed for an intimate relationship with her father, and when she learns about her half-siblings, she envies the closeness they had with him. Similarly, her sisters experienced a desire to meet her, but were also jealous of her. What do you think was the root source of their jealousies? Were you satisfied with the way their stories ended, or would you prefer a different outcome for them?