Reading Guide 1

1. While the author and her brother Todd were unaware of their father's secret for almost his entire life, their mother and many others did know. In light of the author's statement, "I felt that because I'd come from my mother and father—been made up by their parts—I had a right to know everything about them (p. 4)," do you agree with Anatole and Sandy's decision to conceal his identity from their children?
2. Early on, the author's brother says "I'm supposed to understand my father by knowing his opinion on the latest Philip Roth novel (p. 11)." To what degree does Anatole's literary success influence his relationship with his family? How important do you think Anatole's identity as a preeminent literary critic is to him? Why?
3. On page 63, the author learns the personality tests she takes match her with the model for "'impostor'"—"not living in a way that's true to who you are (p. 63)." How important do you believe being ‘true to who you are' is? Has reading ONE DROP influenced that opinion in any way?
4. To trace her father's family lineage, the author travels to New Orleans in 2000, where her first ancestor arrived in the early 1750's. Do you know or have you obtained your family's genealogy? If not, has reading ONE DROP inspired you to do so?
5. The author recalls her father saying "I need to think about how to present things. I want to order my vulnerabilities so they don't get magnified during the discussion (p. 12)." In your opinion, what are the benefits, if any, of Anatole's decision to wait to discuss his identity with his family? What are the benefits in his mind?
6. When the author does learn of her father's secret, she writes "The idea thrilled me, as though I'd been reading a fascinating history book and discovered my own name in the index (p. 17)." Have you or anyone you know learned of a secret of any kind that prompted a reaction similar to the author's?
7. During his final days, Anatole tells his wife "I'm not the golden boy anymore. I'm not that beautiful boy. I have to find a new way to think of myself (p. 20)." To what extent, in your opinion, are Anatole's decisions regarding his identity related to his self-image, and to what extent are they concerned with his family? Or are the two distinctions not mutually exclusive?
8. In the Afterword, the author discusses her use of DNA testing, noting "DNAPrint has found that about 5 percent of customers who self-identify as white show up with some African ancestry. More frequently people who think of themselves as black turn up with European and Native American roots." Do you know anyone who has elected for DNA testing? What did they discover?