Last Bus to Wisdom, by Ivan Doig

Characters

Donal Cameron – “Red Chief” Dorie Blegen – grandmother Kitty Brinker – Dorie’s sister, “The Kate,” “Aunt Kate” Herman Brinker – husband Karl May – Western writer, Herman’s favorite author, Austrian Wendell Williamson – ranch owner People met in travels: Letty Minetti – passenger on bus, knew Dorie from truck stop in Browning Harv – Letty’s boyfriend, being taken to jail Sheriff Carl Kinnick – Harv’s stepbrother, taking him to jail Mae and Joe Schneider Jack Kerouac Rags Rasmussen Reverend Mac – thief on bus Dr. Paul Schneider

Diamond Buckle Ranch: Rags Rasmussen Jones Smiley Highpockets Harv Mrs. Costello Waltzing Matilda

For discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from the paperback edition of the novel.

1. Did you ever have an autograph book?   Do you still have it? 
2. Discuss the various characters.   Who did you sympathize with and who did you not?  What were the positives and negatives of each?   What decisions made by the characters changed your idea of them?
3. Donal was surprised to learn that Kate had been a waitress.   Why do you think Herman never brought that up in their arguments in the kitchen over how he ate toast?
4. When Donal was first getting to know Herman, he was impressed with Herman’s imagination.  He reflected, “Wherever Herman Brinker got it from, he’s held on to the rare quality that usually leaves a person after a certain number of years as a kid, to let what he had read possess him” (Chapter 10, page 154).   How you ever had the experience of being totally possessed by what you are reading?
5. How did Donal’s attitude of “I’ll toughen in.” (chapter 27, page 387) help him survive and thrive?  How can we develop that attitude in our children and in ourselves?
6. At the end of the novel, in the saloon when Donal wanted to tell Herman about returning to his grandmother and Letty in Glasgow, he decided to wait because Herman was having a good time.  Donal thought, “There are times when mercy cancels anything else.” (chapter 29, page 416).  Do you agree?  Can you think of any examples?
7. Were you surprised when at the end of the novel Donal chose to stay with Herman rather than return to his grandmother?
8. Discuss your reading experience.  (I felt anxious anticipating all of the bad things that could happen to Donal in his travels.    I read the last few pages to see how it ended and then was able to enjoy the rest of the story much more.)

*****

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