Hoopi, shoopi Donna cover

Hoopi, shoopi Donna

by Suzanne Strempek Shea

Donna Milewski had all she needed: a grandmother, Babei, whose fragrant cooking smothered the family with love...her mother, Helen, whose nimble fingers stitched intricate outfits for every occasion...and Adam, the most wonderful father a daughter could imagine, who wanted for her only that one day she would lead her own all-girl polka band. Content with her trusted girlfriends, Donna knew that no one had a better life. Then came Betty, tiny and adorable, sent from Poland by Adam's brother, whose family was so destitute that its one doll had to be divided among six sisters. Bringing with her nothing more than her toy rubber leg and a loving demeanor that would make Shirley Temple look like a shrew, Betty joined the family...and a new chapter began for the Milewskis. So did a long and painful split between Donna and her father, an estrangement that only their beloved music, played by an all-girl polka band, would hold the key to healing....

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?