We received an email from Eloise Arber (Ellie), a member of the National English Honor Society at Staples High School in Connecticut, asking if her organization could work with Lift the Lid’s students on a cultural exchange project. Fantastic! We decided to start an online international book club. Our meetings have been thought-provoking, sincere, and a great opportunity for everyone to share their opinions and strengthen their speaking voices. Here are a few of our discussions:

Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl”

Our first meeting focused on Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl,” and students from both schools engaged in a comparative analysis of the story’s themes, characters, and cultural implications. Students from the National English Honor Society led our first discussion, while students from Lenana Girls’ High School shared their perspectives on the societal expectations and gender roles depicted in the story. Both groups discussed the pressure to avoid becoming a “bad woman” and the confinement of traditional female roles. They explored how cultural lessons and parental guidance can both help and hinder a girl’s ability to pursue her dreams, paying particular attention to literary devices such as anaphora and juxtaposition. Despite a few technical difficulties with internet connectivity that required our Lenana students to move outside for better reception, the meeting was a great icebreaker and successfully established a framework for future discussions between the two schools.

Langston Hughes’s “Mother to Son”

In our second Book Club, Lenana led a discussion on the poem “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes, focusing on the metaphor of a “crystal stair,” and its themes of adversity and perseverance. The students talked about how the poem’s imagery of tacks, splinters, and boards evokes harsh life experiences, particularly for Black individuals in the 1920s. They noticed how the poem’s tone shifts from describing struggles in the first half to expressing hope and perseverance in the second half, emphasizing the importance of continuing forward despite challenges. The girls also connected these tone shifts to broader writing principles and the importance of creating emotional arcs in writing to indicate growth, progress, and/or learning. Hughes uses a personal, authentic voice, particularly in the context of a mother speaking to her son. They pointed out how the informal language creates a sense of family and even a bond between the speaker and the listener.

Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”

We also enjoy discussing Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.” The girls shared interpretations of the line about equally worn roads and the meaning behind the title. They explored how the poem reflects life-changing decisions and the uncertainty involved in choosing between different paths. The discussion included personal examples of difficult decisions and the background story of how Frost wrote the poem to tease his indecisive friend Edward Thomas.

A big THANK YOU to the National English Honor Society at Staples High School in Connecticut and to our participating students at Lenana Girls’ High School in Kenya for creating this important cultural analysis and exchange of ideas!

*Learning to communicate effectively is an essential life skill, and we attribute our students’ high national exam marks in part to Lift the Lid’s focus on helping them organize their thoughts to express them in writing…and when speaking to others.