The Widow of the South, by Robert Hicks

Carnton Plantation   Field hospital after Battle of Franklin	McGavock family: Carrie Colonel John Hattie Winder Deceased children – Martha, John Randall, Mary Elizabeth   Mariah – Creole Slave/Companion Theopolis - son
Sgt. Zachariah Cashwell	Confederate soldier from Arkansas – picked up colors in battle At Carnton after injured in Battle of Franklin   Jerod – friend
Lt. Nathan Stiles	Union soldier from Ohio Professor at Indian site
Griffin	Joseph – father Becky – daughter Eli – son, friend of Ab Wills and Winder
Baylor	Will “Cotton Gin” – Becky’s boyfriend

For discussion:

1.            In chapter 3, Cashwell explains why men were willing to fight.  He explained that they either forgot the possibility of death or convinced themselves that they “didn’t matter in this world.”    He explained that “I was insignificant like everyone else and it was this insignificance that made me strong.”   Does this help you understand how so many were willing to face probable death in the battles?

2.            How did Cashwell’s willingness to die make him stronger?  How did his childhood (father killed, mother abandoned him and ran away with preacher) affect him as an adult?

3.            Discuss Carrie McGavock. 

·         How did she cope with the deaths of her children? 
·         Why didn’t she take the laudanum like many of the other women?  
·         Why did she collect the laudanum she did not take and how did this help her?
·         In chapter 11, when she knew her house would be a field hospital, she stated that “I had power.  I had a power others did not.”  And, “Death could not make me afraid anymore.”

4.            Consider the relationship between Cashwell and Carrie. 

·         Why did she keep him at the plantation for so long? 
·         Why did she beat him with his crutch in chapter 25? 
·         What was their connection with each other?

5.            Cashwell also had a unique relationship with John McGavock.  In chapter 32 John told Cashwell his life story. 

·         What was it about Cashwell that made both Carrie and John confide in him?
·         When thinking about John, Cashwell thought that, “Something had happened to that poor son of a bitch.  Or he’d done something I didn’t want to hear about.”   What was it?

6.            Discuss Mariah. 

·         Why did she stay with Carrie after the other slaves were freed and left? 
·         She had a special connection with the most severely wounded soldiers – they realized they were going to be restricted for the rest of their lives by their injuries and felt a connection with Mariah.  Why?  (Chapter 34)

7.            Who was Theopolis’ father?

8.            What was Baylor’s real purpose in wanting to destroy the burial field and plant on it?

9.            Did the author do a good job combining the true story with some fictional details?  

10.          Did this novel give you any insights into the Civil War and/or A Team of Rivals by Doris Kerns Goodwin?

Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Abraham Lincoln	Edward Bates	Salmon P. Chase	William H. Seward
Dad – Thomas – illiterate but “born storyteller” Mother – Nancy Hanks Stepmother – Sarah Sister – Sarah – died as young adult Ann Rutledge – first love Mary Todd – wife Sons: Robert Todd Edward (died 1850) William (died 1862) Thomas (Tad) Joshua Speed  - best friend John Nicolay – private secretary John Hay – 2nd assistant Vice Presidents: 1st term – Hannibal Hamlin 2nd term – Andrew Johnson	Attorney General Julia – wife Parents died early in his life, Bates and siblings sent to live with relatives	Treasury Department Chief Justice of Supreme Court Widower Kate – daughter William Sprague – Kate’s husband Parents died early, Chase sent to strict boarding school Minor speech defect Edwin Stanton – friend Anti-slavery	Secretary of State Frances – wife Thurlow Weed – campaign manager Husky speaking voice Defining moment – Seward and family traveled south, witnessed slavery and came home
Other Cabinet Members:	Cabinet Members, 2nd Administration	Union Generals	Confederate Generals
Simon Cameron – Secretary of War Edwin Stanton – replaced Cameron as Secretary of War 1862 Cable Smith – Secretary of Interior Gideon Wells – Secretary of Navy Montgomery Blair – Postmaster General (1964 resigned)	James Harlan – Secretary of Interior William Pitt Fessenden – Treasury (replaced Chase) Hugh McCulloch – Treasury, 2nd term William Dennison – Postmaster General	Sherman McClellan - dismissed Scott Ulysses S. Grant Fremont – dismissed McDowell Henry Halleck John Pope Ambrose Burnside – replaced McClellan	Robert E. Lee Stonewall Jackson – died in battle James Longstreet

For discussion:

NOTE:  All page numbers refer to the paperback edition.

1.            Discuss how Lincoln handled the early defeats in his political career.  How was this important to his later success?

2.            Discuss how the three losing candidates reacted to Lincoln’s nomination for president.  Can you, in particular, emphasize with Seward?

3.            Do you agree with Lincoln’s rationale behind the selection of his cabinet?

·         Do you think he made wise choices?

·         Review how he convinced Seward and Chase to accept.  (pages 317 & 318)

4.            Discuss Chase’s bid for the presidency in 1864 at Lincoln’s expense.  Did this alter your opinion of either Chase or Lincoln?

·         What did you think about Chase’s repeated letters of resignation?  What do you think his thoughts were when Lincoln accepted the fourth one?

5.            What did you think about General McClellan and his actions both regarding the battles and his vocal opinion of Lincoln?

6.            Discuss Lincoln’s decision making process.  Consider how he used the cabinet, asking each to make an individual decision and send him a written response.

·         He often let others think they had made the decision or had an influence when in fact he had already made the decision.  (see page 412)

7.            Discuss Lincoln’s preparation for the Emancipation Proclamation.

·         He waited for an army victory to be sure country’s mood was receptive.

·         His calculated reply to Greeley’s letter in order to educate public on link between emancipation and getting more soldiers.

8.            Contrast the political debates of Lincoln’s time with today’s political campaigns.

·         For example – 4 hour speeches were the norm; newspapers reported biased accounts depending on their political leaning

9.            Consider the public interest in the 1850s compared to today.  In 1850, ¾ or population voted.  What made the difference in the amount of interest and participation?

10.          Discuss Lincoln’s gift of storytelling and how he used that to his advantage.

11.          Lincoln repeatedly took responsibility for the mistakes of others.  How effective was this to his leadership?  (see pages 345 and 413)

12.          What characteristics made Lincoln a great leader?   Would he be as great today?

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce

Characters:

Harold Fry

Maureen – wife

David – son

Queenie Hennessy – co-worker, dying of cancer

Rex – neighbor

Mr. Napier – boss at brewery

People Harold met on his pilgrimage:

• Garage Girl – “Believing you can make a difference.” (page 15)
• Hotel guests – “They believed in him….they had made a decision in their hearts and minds to ignore the evidence and to imagine something bigger and something infinitely more beautiful than the obvious.”  (page 37)
• Woman with drink of water and food – “You’d think walking should be the simplest thing…But it never ceases to amaze me how difficult the things that are supposed to be instinctive really are.”  (page 50)
• Hiking man and wife -  made Harold contemplate his own marriage
• Martina – woman doctor
• Silver-haired gentleman – “He (Harold) understood that in walking to atone for the mistakes he had made, it was also his journey to accept the strangeness of others….To carry a little of them as he went.”  (page 90)
• Cycling mothers – “…he knew that in meeting her (the mother who had cut herself), and listening, he was carrying another weight in his heart, and he wasn’t sure how much more of that he could take.”  (page 128)
• Actor and oncologist – neither had faith in Harold’s walk
• The follower – Wilf and dog
• The pilgrims – Kate, Rich Lion, young widower in gorilla suit

For discussion:

1. Discuss Harold:

·         He never did anything unexpected, had hardly moved from house since he retired. 

·         He did not want a retirement part or any acknowledgement. 

·         How his childhood affected him as an adult, a spouse, and a parent

2. Discuss Harold and David’s relationship: 

·         Why didn’t they speak?

·         Why couldn’t Harold offer David any comfort on his first day of school?  (pages 69-70)

·         How did Harold’s relationship with his own parents affect his parenting of David?

3. Discuss the incident at the ocean when David was swept out and Harold stopped to take off his shoes. 

4. Discuss Harold and Maureen’s relationship: 

·         How it disintegrated throughout their marriage

·         Her reaction when he first called about his plan and the fact that he did not expect any help or encouragement from her

·         How their relationship changed throughout the pilgrimage

5. Discuss Queenie.  Why did she take the blame when Harold smashed Mr. Napier’s murano glass clowns?

6. How did each person he met add to his pilgrimage?  What did he learn from each of them?

7. Consider Harold’s decision on his pilgrimage to give away everything and just ask for what he needs.  Could you do that?

8. How did Harold’s walk change when he was in the news and the pilgrims joined him? 

9. Were you surprised to read in chapter 27 that David had committed suicide years earlier?

10. What did you think about the ending?  Did you like the fact that you never learned what Maureen said?

11. Do you think different age groups will take different things from this book?  What would they focus on?  What would they learn from the book?

12. What did you learn from the book?

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Lisa See

Characters
Lily (3rd child, 2nd girl)
Mama Papa Elder Brother Second Brother Elder Sister Third Sister – died during foot binding Aunt Uncle Beautiful Moon – died, bee sting	Master Lu Lady Lu Uncle Lu Husband Yonggang – servant 3 sons Jade - daughter
Snow Flower (Lily’s Sworn Sister)
Parents	Husband - butcher Spring Moon – daughter 2 sons
Madame Wang – Matchmaker – Snow Flower’s Aunt Madame Gao – local matchmaker

For discussion:

1.         Lily and Snow Flower endure excruciating pain in order to have their feet bound.  What reasons are given for this practice?   Are there any current Western traditions that you were reminded of as your read these passages?

2.         If some men knew about nu shu and “old same” friendships, why do you think they allowed these traditions to persist?  See page 153.

3.         Reflecting on her first few decades, Lily seems to think her friendship with Snow Flower brought her more good than harm.  Do you agree?

4.         On page 125 Lily states that she felt betrayed by Snow Flower.  Do you think anyone was at fault for Lily’s feelings?  If so, who?

a.  Lilly blames her mother for not telling her about Snow Flower in order to keep her on the path for a good marriage to benefit the family.  Was her mother to blame?

5.         Do you think the concept of “old sames” exists today?  Do you have an “old same” or a sworn sisterhood?  How are these the same or different from those in the novel?

6.         Nu shu is phonetic in nature and depends on the write and reader having the same context to be completely understood.  How is this the same as email and instant messaging?

7.         Consider Lily’s Song of Vituperation (lengthy harsh criticism or abuse) against Snow Flower.  Was she justified?    The song became famous and it increased her standing in the community even as she destroyed Snow Flower.

8.         Why do you think Spring Moon committed suicide?

9.         At the end, Lily charged the other women in her village to copy their autobiographies because she said that by charging the women she was letting them know that their lives have value.  Do you agree with this strategy?

10.       In the end, Snow Flower’s three friends criticized Lily and told her exactly how her actions and words had affected Snow Flower.  Was this a satisfying end to the story?  

a.         On page 243 they said that Lily loved Snow Flower “as a man would, valuing her only for following men’s rules.”  Was this criticism justified?