Orphan Train, by Christina Baker Kline

Characters
Molly – 2011	Niamh > Dorothy > Vivian  - 1929 and forward
Molly – in Foster Care System – Penobscot Indian Dina and Ralph – Foster parents in 2011 Jack – boyfriend Terry – mother, Vivian’s housekeeper	Parents Dominick and James - brothers Maisie – baby sister Mr. and Mrs. Schatzman – New York neighbors Children’s Aid Society – Mr. Sorenson Train: Mrs. Scatherd Mr. Curran Carmine Hans > Dutchy > Luke Maynard – first husband Mr. and Mrs. Byrne – foster parents in Minnesota – sewing factory in home – employed Fanny and other girls Wilma and Gerald Grote – Minnesota, 1930 School: Miss. Larsen – teacher Mr. Post – driver, handyman Mrs. Murphy – Miss Larson’s landlady Mr. and Mrs. Nielsen – own general store Vivian – daughter who died Jim Daly – second husband Sarah Dunnell – daughter – born 1943, given for adoption

 For discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from paperback edition of book.  Also, I used the name Niamh went by during the time period of each question.

1. At the time this book was written the state of Maine, where Molly lived, was the only state required to teach Native American Culture and history.  Were you aware of this?  Why didn’t the other states do so?
2. Molly’s assignment to interview someone about their “portaging” experience was the start of her interest in Vivian’s story.  What have been your portaging experiences?    What are one or more things you take with you when you travel or move?
3. In the American History class discussion, Molly reveals that she is a Penobscot Indian and compares the Native America Indian’s experience to those of the Irish under the British rule.  Do you think this was a valid comparison?
4. Molly’s task at Vivian’s was to help her clean out the attic.  Instead they just reorganized everything.  Molly thought that maybe “…the value is in the process – in touching each item, in naming and identifying, in acknowledging the significance…”  (page 173) Do you agree?  How do you think their apparent lack of progress was viewed by others who might eventually have to clean out the attic?
5. Do you think the Schwartzman’s were justified in lying about Maisie’s death and adopting her after they sent Niamh away?
6. Were you surprised that there was not more care in the children’s placement.  Mr. Sorenson seemed surprised that the Byrne’s had no intention of adopting Dorothy and it seemed obvious that placement with the Grote’s was not positive environment.
7. When Vivian was grown she thought, “…when I begin to wear makeup, I have a revelation.  I’ve viewed my life until now as a series of unrelated adaptations.”  But then she realized, “I can determine my own next incarnation.” (Page 204)  Is this always true?  Do we have the power within us to be whatever we decide?   Is this also true of Molly?
8. Did you think is was realistic that Vivian could manage and improve the Nielson’s store so easily given her background, education and lack of retail experience?
9. Vivian did not have a very positive impression of the ending of The Wizard of Oz.  “Back on the farm, her life stretches ahead to the flat horizon line, already populated with the only characters she’ll every know.”  (Page 223)   Can you understand this interpretation?  What was your first experience seeing the movie?
10. Was Dutchy and Vivian’s meeting in Minneapolis just a little too convenient? 
11. Were you surprised that Vivian gave her baby away?  Do you think it was the right thing for her do to?  Can you understand her motives?
12. In 1929, was there a better solution for taking care of the orphaned children rather than the Orphan Trains?
13. Do you think it was right for the Nielson’s to ask Dorothy to change her name to that of their deceased daughter?  Was this a compliment to Dorothy?
14. How important is your name to you?  How do you think changing your name would or would not change who you are?

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Boys Among Men, by Jonathan Abrams

Review:  “Two generations of readers”

I chose this book because my 16-year-old grandson is interested in LeBron James. Even though I know nothing about basketball (and therefore had a difficult time keeping the players, coaches, scouts, teams and dates straight) I thought the book was very interesting.  As an educator I found the author’s examination of the factors that influenced those players who thrived and those who did not fairly comprehensive, although I thought interviews with those in both circumstances would have added to the depth of the book.  My grandson, an avid sports fan with lots of background knowledge, easily followed the people, dates and careers.  The book combined his interests in basketball, athletic career paths and the business behind the scenes.  He would recommend this book to people interested in any of these aspects of basketball.    I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this review.

Players who went from high school to NBA (Dates are United States playing careers)

Darryl Dawkins 1976 – 1990: did not live up to expectations

Bill Willoughby 1976 – 1984: not successful in NBA – not ready – agent stole his money

Moses Malone 1976 -1995: 3 times league MVP

Kevin Garnett 1995 – present: 2004 MVP, talent showed when playing game but not when working out individually - $126 million contact with Minnesota

Kobe Bryant 1996 – 2016: father, Joe, former NBA player, 2008 league MVP, entire career with LA Lakers – advisor Sonny Vaccaro – sponsorship deal with Adidas

Tracy McGrady 1997 – 2013: $12 million contract with Adidas – first in Toronto, then signed with Orlando Magic for $67.5 million

Amar’e Stoudemire 2002 – present: Phoenix Suns - first high school draftee to win Rookie of the Year

Al Harrington 1998 – 2014: 25th pick by Indiana Pacers – had good mentoring

Korleone Young 1998 – 1999: 2nd round pick Detroit Pistons - mentor Myron  Piggie Sr, employed by Nike – never successful in NBA

Rashard Lewis 1998 2014: 3rd pick in 2nd round by Seattle – signed with Orlando in 2007 for $118 million

Leon Smith 1999 – 2004: Dallas Mavericks – never  successful in NBA

Tyson Chandler 2001 – present: Chicago Bulls –came close to reaching potential after years of struggle

Eddie Curry 2001 – 2012: Chicago Bulls – did not reach expected potential

Kwame Brown 2001 – 2013: Washington Wizards - First player out of high school to be drafted #1 overall but disappointment as a player – 2005 traded to LA Lakers – had a career into his 30s but never to star he was predicted to be

Lenny Cooke 2002 – not drafted – 2004 injured in car accident

Sebastian Telfair 2004 – 2013 - did not reach expected success

LeBron James 2003 – present: Cleveland Cavaliers - dominated over Cooke in 2001 ABCD Camp – on cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school junior - $90 million from Nike over 7 years – Rookie of the Year

Ndudi Ebi, Kendrick Perkins, Travis Outlaw, James Lang – all drafted 2003 with James – none were successful

2004 Draft – 8 out of first 19 picks came directly from high school Dwight Howard 2004 – present: 1st pick Robert Swift 2004 – 2009: 12th pick, only white player drafted from high school J. R. Smith 2004 – present: 18th pick Other five were not successful

For discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers refer to the hardback edition of the book.

1. Before reading this book, what was your opinion of high school graduates playing in the NBA?  Did your opinion change after reading?  Why or why not?

2. What were the important character qualities that enabled high school graduates to be successful in the NBA?  Are these similar or different than those needed to be successful in life?

3. What would the players have learned or developed if they had attended college?

4. In Chapter 13 the story of Leon Smith and his lack of success provided a cautionary tale regarding drafting high school students.  Smith’s childhood was particularly painful and the author wrote, “…anyone could spot the root of his pain as the lack of ever feeling loved” (page 150) and that he “had little clue as to the effort and diligent work needed …” (page 153).  In the end, who was responsible for his downfall?  Was there anything that could have been done differently to save him? 

5. In general, were there any warning signs to distinguish who could succeed in the NBA directly out of high school and who could not?

6. Discuss the incident on November 19, 2004 when a fan threw a coke on Indiana’s Ron Artest and he went into the stands after the person.  How, if anything, could this have been prevented?

7. In June 2005 the NBA raised the minimum age from 18 to 19 and required a player be out of high school for at least one year before being drafter.  Do you think the one year delay was effective?  Is there a difference between that one year being spent in college compared to playing overseas?

8. One argument to allow players to be drafted right out of high school is that they will have that much more earning time, especially given how short their careers are.  Do you agree or not?  Why?

9. On page 301 a retiring NBA player asked, “You invest millions of dollars into these players.  Why aren’t you doing a better job of positioning these players to be successful?”   What could the teams and the league do to help the young players?

10. What does the author mean on page 266 when he writes the following:  Rod Higgins, a general manager said, “For every success story, you probably could write a horror story.”   The author responded, “They were wrong.  You cannot.”

11. The last line in the Author’s Acknowledgements says that his newborn son will go to college for “all four years.”  Do you think he will change his mind if his son is a basketball prodigy?

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

The Shoemaker's Wife, by Adriana Trigiani

Characters
Italy	America
Marco and Giacomina Ravanelli Enza Battista and Vittorio – brothers Eliana and Alma – sisters Stella – youngest sister who died   Caterina Lazzari Ciro Eduardo   Sister Teresa - Sisters of San Nicola Ignazio Farino   Don Gregorio – priest Concetta Martocci	Ciro – apprentice to Remo Enza – seamstress Son – Antonio   Marco – working in mines and out west   Remo and Carla Zanetti – shoemaker   Luigi Latini – friend Ciro met on ship, apprentice to Remo Pappina – Luigi’s girlfriend and wife Angela - daughter     Buffa family – distant cousins of Giacomina Anna and 3 daughters   Laura Heery – Enza’s friend – blouse factory   Serafina Ramunn – Metropolitan Opera House   Enrico Caruso   Vito Blazek – Publicity director for Met   Colin Chapin – Accountant at Met

For discussion:

NOTE: page numbers are from the hardback edition of book

1. When Ciro was offered the job in the ship’s boiler room by the bursar, Massimo Zito, he bargained for a much higher pay.  Do you think he was sophisticated enough at that point to do that?

2. When Luigi and Ciro landed in American the author wrote that they, “…came face to face with the engine of American life: You work and then you spend.” (page 136) Is this a true assessment of America at that time?

3. On page 164 the author described Carla Zanetti and a “snob” and wrote that she was reinventing herself and looked down on fellow Italian immigrants.  Do you think this was common as some immigrants were able to be more successful than others?

4. The scullery job that Enza and Laura took turned out to be a turning point for them (page 238).    On page 209 Ciro questioned, “But really, are there accidents?  Or does fate determine time and place and opportunity?”   What do you think?

5. From reading this book, how would you evaluate America’s welcome of immigrants before the first World War?  When Ciro and Luigi were talking with a young man entering the service they felt, “the slight judgement that said immigrants were a necessary fact of life, one that must be tolerated but never truly accepted.”  (page 216)  

6. Did you think it was fair that Enza sent all her money back to Italy? 

7. When Enza left the Buffa home it was understandable that the Buffa family would insult her.  But why did the neighbors join in?  (page 226)

8. Ciro learned two lessons during the war: “that good men can’t fix what evil men are intent on destroying” and “a soldier could not count on anything – his commanding officer, his fellow infantrymen, his country, or the weather.  He only had luck, or didn’t.”  (page 304)   Do you agree?

9. When Eduardo joined the priesthood he was expected to give up all contact with his family.  Is this still the practice?  Did you think this was necessary?

10. This book was written in 2012.  What did you think about the author including the misconduct by Don Gregorio in the novel? 

11. When Enza learned that Vito Blazek had three wives she felt that she was lucky that she had avoided being married to him as his first wife.  Is it possible that Vito would have remained happily and faithfully married to Enza if she has not cancelled her marriage?

12. Do you blame Caterina for leaving her sons at the convent?  Did she have any other choices?

13. How was Luigi leaving Angela with Enza different from Caterina leaving her sons?

14. The importance of music was a theme that ran through this book (Enrico Caruso, the Opera, Angela’s singing voice).  Were you able to relate to that? 

15. What did you think of the chapter titles?  They referred to one small item in each chapter.  Would you have changed them?

16. Discuss your reading experience.  How many Kleenex (if any) did you use??  Did you learn anything from reading this book?

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

 

A Fifty-year Silence, by Miranda Richmond Mouillot

REVIEW:  My favorite part of this book was the postscript.  The author’s reflections and final conclusions were very moving.  I also learned a lot from this book about the effects of the Holocaust on the Jewish people then and now as well as the aging process in general and the relationship between grandparent and grandchild.   It made me think differently about one’s heritage and how it forms you as a child and adult.  But did I enjoy the book?   That is a difficult question.  It was tough at times to read and also at times I got bogged down in Miranda’s story and the house in Alba.  I wanted to know the reason for the fifty-year silence and so I kept going.   In the end I am very glad I read the book and I keep thinking about it.  So I will recommend it to others, particularly book groups.  It will lead to a very interesting and insightful discussion.   I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for this review. 

People
1937-1946	Current
Armand Jacoubovitch – interpreter at Nuremburg Trials Anna Munster - doctor Alma – Anna’s sister Erna – Austrian refugee, escaped with Armand and Anna Madame Flamand Dr. Joseph Angirany – Supervisor at sanatorium in Hauteville	Miranda – granddaughter and author Julian – husband Estelle Anna - daughter Robert Richmond and Kathleen Mavournin – father and stepmother Ileana Grams-Moog and Robert Moog (Abah) – mother and stepfather

For discussion:

NOTE – Page numbers are from the paperback edition.

1. Miranda wrote about how her grandmother was planning her life.  Do you really think so or was that just how things played out?

2. What was the significance of the dish from Aubette?  Why do you think Anna kept it for so long?

3. On page 209 the author wrote about how Armand and Anna’s paths differed once they were separated and she made the point that they both had positive and negative aspects of their lives that they could dwell on.  She wrote, “If their fortunes differed, it was likely because my grandmother had taken her stubborn high spirits with her when they parted ways.”  How much impact does your positive or negative view of the world have on your life?

4. How did you think the author was subconsciously affected by her family’s and her nationality’s past history?  Is that possible if no one in the family discussed it with her?

5. What do you think will happen to the author’s daughter, Estella?  Will she have the same experiences?

6. What was the effect of the Nuremburg Trials on Armand?  Could he have handled them any differently?   Do you think it was fair to ask him to perform that task?

7. Did your idea of Armand change as you read the book and understood what he had done at Nuremburg?

8. Why do you think Armand and Anna never spoke but never divorced?  On page 211 the author wrote, “Maybe that’s why they couldn’t let go of each other: they each held within themselves the memory of who the other person was before the war made them remarkable in ways they  had not chosen.”

*Also consider the following:

>Page 258 regarding the effect of the trials: “My grandfather’s personality could not withstand it.  He hardened around that knowledge, and his hardness cut my grandmother to the quick.”

>Page 259: She could love a man with whom she had been through so much, but she could not let him drag her down into an existence devoted to remembering."

9. Discuss your reading experience.  Did you like the book?  Would you have liked it to move differently?  Was the ending and explanation of Armand and Anna worth the time it took you to get there?  Did you learn anything?

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociaiton.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link. 

All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doeer

Characters
French	German
Marie-Laure Le Blanc Daniel - father – principal locksmith at National Museum of Natural History   Sea of Flames - diamond   Saint-Malo Etienne – Marie-Laure’s great uncle Henri – brother – recorded science lessons on radio – heard by Werner and Jutta in Germany   Madame Manec – housekeeper   Old Ladies’ Resistance Club   Crazy Harold Bazin – gave Marie-Laure key to stone grotto   Claude Levitte – perfumer –  collaborated with Germans   1974 Dr. Marie-Laure – studies mollusks Helene – daughter	Children’s Home Werner Pfennig Jutta – sister Frau Elena   National Political Institute of Education – Essen, Germany Frederick – bunk mate Dr. Hauptmann – professor Frank Volkheimer   Frau Schwartzenberger – Jewish woman in Frederick’s apartment building   Sergeant Major Reinhold von Rumpel – searching for Sea of Flames   1974 Jutta – sixth form algebra teacher Albert – husband Max - son   Frank Volkheimer – installs and repairs TV antennas

For discussion:
NOTE: Page numbers are from hardback edition of book.

1. At the Political Institute of Education, what was the purpose of the exercise, “Who is the weakest?” and the beating of Frederick?

2. When Werner went off to school, Jutta was afraid he would become like Hans and Herribert, two older boys at the Children’s Home.  She asks Werner, “Is it right to do something only because everyone else is doing it?”  (page 133) But very early in his time at the school Werner reflects that, “Never had he felt such a hunger to belong.”  (page 139) Was this inevitable or orchestrated by the people at the school?

3. Did Werner have any control over his fate?  When Jutta was visiting Marie-Laure at the end she said, “It was hard for him not to do what was expected of him.”  (page 515) How much control did Werner actually have? 

4. Jutta also said, “It was not very easy to be good then.” (page 515).  Was it easier for some people rather than others – Jutta compared to Werner and Frank for example?

5. Discuss the various choices the characters made:
* Werner smashing Jutta’s radio
* Werner not coming to Frederick’s defense when he was beaten and then bullied at the school.
* Frederick refusing to dump water on the freezing prisoner.
* Toward end when Werner and Volkheimer were trapped in the basement of the hotel, Werner did not tell him he heard the Marie-Laure’s radio broadcast.
* Etienne sending Marie-Laure to the bakery to get the secret messages.

6. Is Frederick’s mother partially to blame for what happened to Frederick?  Do you think she feels guilty?   Like Werner, did she and Frederick have a choice?

7. When Werner says Marie-Laure is brave (page 469) she replies, “When I lost my sight, Werner, people said I was brave.  When my father left, people said I was brave. But it is not bravery; I have no choice.  I wake up and live my life.  Don’t you do the same?”  Werner’s reply is, “Not in years.  But today.  Today maybe I did.”  How did you interpret this exchange?

8. Why did the little girl in the red cape and Frau Schwartzenberger become so important to Werner?  He kept seeing the little girl and toward the end she morphed into Frau Schwartzenberger (page 450).

9. Did you like the chapter, “The Simultaneity of Instants” on pages 466 and 467.  What point was the author trying to make?

10. At the end, did you think Werner had kept the stone?  Were you disappointed in him?  Why did he go back and get the wooden house and keep the key?

11. One description of the book said it looked at the “contradictory power of technology.”   What was the various views of technology presented in the novel?  Did you think this was a major theme?  The obvious follow-up question is how has technology evolved and is its power even more contradictory?

12. Discuss your reading experience.  Did you enjoy reading this book?  Why do you think it earned the Pulitzer Prize?
*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

 

Winter Garden, by Kristen Hannah

Characters
Whitson family and others	The Snow Kingdom – fairy tale
Evan Anya Meredith Nina Jeff – Meredith’s husband Jillian and Mandy – daughters Danny -Nina’s boyfriend Vasily Adamovich – professor Maksim – Vasily’s son Stacey Koontz – Anya – waitress in Alaskan Russian restaurant	Petyr Andreyevich – father Zoyo – mother Baba – grandmother Veronika – Vera Petrovna Olga Prince Sasha Black Knight Vera and Sasha’s children: Anastasia – Anya Leo

For Discussion:

NOTE: All pages are from paperback edition of the book.

1. Was Jeff being fair when he left Meredith so soon after her father died?
2. Danny also wanted Nina to leave her family briefly and go with him to check out his job offer in Atlanta.  Should he have understood Nina’s situation better?   Does being married or not make a difference?
3. Why do you think Meredith and Nina could not communicate?  How could either of them have changed this?
4. When Nina was thinking about the fairy tale, she noted that the Russian fairy tales are different from the ones by the brothers Grimm in that the Russian ones “ended unhappily to teach a lesson.”  (page 174) Do you think a happy ending can teach a lesson just as effectively?
5. Which sister did you like/understand the best?
6. One criticism of Meredith that many characters agreed on was that she cared “too much about everyone else.”   Is it possible to care too much about other people and not enough about yourself?
7. In the same vein, on page 245 Meredith reflected that, “She’d lost too much of herself in parenthood to simply go back to who she’d been before.”  What do you think about this?
8. On page 250 Meredith reflected that she learned after her dad’s death that “Every choice changed the road you were on and it was too easy to end up going in the wrong direction.”   Aside from illegal choices, can you put too much pressure on yourself about your choices?   Don’t we learn something from each choice even if we have to change direction after?
9. Anya’s behavior during a play was mentioned several times throughout the novel as a negative turning point for Meredith and it was not explained until the end on page 375.  The play was Meredith and Jeff acting out Anya’s love story and she realized at the end of the story how painful that was for Anya.  Did you think this was emphasized too much earlier in the story and then glossed over at the end?
10. In general, did you like the story?  Was it an enjoyable read?  Did you like the writing style?

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociaiton.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Playing St. Barbara, by Mirian Szczepanski

Characters
Downhillers	Uphillers
Sweeney Family Fin – father Clare – “Mutti” – mother Deirdre Katie – Sister Mary Gertrude Norah Rosie – Deirdre’s friend Kamila – Clare’s friend – husband did not join union Essie Hunt – African American woman who helped Clare with birth control and “miscarriages” Billy McKenna “The Cossack” – married Deirdre Jack Kukoc – Katie’s boyfriend – arrested and jailed in riot Paul Visocky – Norah’s boyfriend who she rejected – married Grace Cverna Tina Kukoc – died in slate dump collapse Frank Sestak – new fire boss – first Slovak to be promoted Tereza – daughter	Dan Phelan – Asst. Superintendent, 1940 promoted to Arizona Big Bill Keating – pit boss – became Asst. Superintendent in 1940 Maeve – wife - took over pageant when new Superintendent’s wife refused Bill Finch – Superintendent – returned to Pittsburgh 1940 Mrs. Finch – “The Queen” – director of 1929 pageant
	Others
	Fr. Kovacs – parish priest H.C. Frick Coke Company Trudy – Clare’s cousin in Pittsburgh Drastovic – tale-teller Klu Klux Klan The Brotherhood – company-sponsored union – outlawed by Pres. Roosevelt in 1941 United Mine Workers Roz Hamilton – owner of “La Femme” David Steinback – bacteriologist, “Dr. Ketchup”

For Discussion:

NOTE: All page numbers are from paperback edition.

1. Discuss Fin Sweeney:
1. Why was he so angry and abusive?
2. Could his wife and daughters have done anything to change him?
3. On page 330 after Fin was rescued from the mine, Norah wonders, “Had he ever been happy?  Had swinging a bat and hitting home runs given him whatever fleeting pleasure that she and sisters and Mutti could not?”  Is Norah taking too much responsibility for Fin’s happiness? 
4. Could you find any goodness in Fin?  He was instrumental in unionizing mine workers and saved Anton Zekula in mine collapse.
5. On page 355 Fin asks Clare, “You’re wishing I died in the pit, aren’t you now?”  Do you think he has any regrets?
2. It was obvious to everyone that Fin was beating Clare and yet only Kamila would address it.  Did the rest of the community, in particular Fr. Kovacs, have any responsibility to change the situation?
3. Discuss Norah and Katie’s reactions to Fin physically abusing Clare.  How did this situation influence the decisions they made in their lives?  Considering Norah, why did she reject Paul?  Was it to stay and protect her mother or was it something else?
4. Do you think Jack Kukoc, Katie’s boyfriend, would have ended up just like Fin?  Why or why not?  See page 208 where he, “pressed Katie’s cheeks until her lips could no longer make words.”
5. On page 368 the author wrote about Clare, “She couldn’t help but wonder – had he worked for a company that allowed the union, would their lives have turned out differently?”  What do you think?
6. What did you think about Clare’s actions to abort and prevent pregnancies?  Were these actions justified?   Norah thought it was her fault that one of the babies dies (page 306).  How did this affect her future as well as the relationship between Clare and Norah?
7. When the Sweeney family first moved to The Hive they all went to the church to register as parishioners and Fin forced Clare to say she was Irish, not German.  He also did not allow her to speak German. Given the war that followed, was this a good thing or inconsiderate?
8. Consider women’s options today compared to the time period of this novel (1930s and 1940s).  How would the story be different today?
9. Consider the United Mine Workers and the progress they made for workers in this country.  Could this progress have been made without men like Fin?
10. Consider the central role the pageant and Festival of St. Barbara played in the novel.  Why was it so important?  What affect did it have on the various members of the Sweeney family?
11. Discuss your reading experience.  Did you enjoy the book or did you find it uncomfortable to read?

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.