Baker Towers, by Jennifer Haigh

 

Characters
Novak family	Others
Father – miner, died Rose – mother Dorothy - oldest Georgie – oldest son Joyce Sandy Lucy	Evelyn Lipnic – George’s high school girlfriend   Gene Stusick – George’s best friend, married Evelyn, union president, mine foreman   Leonard Stusick – Evelyn and Gene’s son, graduated from medical school   Washington D.C.: Mag Spangler – high school classmate, helped Dorothy get situated Patsy Sturgis – Dorothy’s roommate Chick Rowsey – wounded veteran   Kip Quigley – Marion’s brother, cheated off George’s tests in college   Angelo Bernardi – son of undertaker, divorced, dating Dorothy, died in mine explosion   Susan Jevic – Joyce’s student, worked in library, married Arthur   Ed Hauser – vice principal, married Joyce
Dorothy – went to Washington D. C. for job, returned to Bakerton, affair with Angelo Bernardi   George: Marion – wife Arthur – son   Joyce – came home to care for mother and Lucy, went back college part time, became 8th grade teacher, married Ed Hauser, daughter   Sandy – unknown locations   Lucy – nursing degree from Pitt, returned to Bakerton, married Leonard

For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from paperback edition.

1.       Why did Marion marry George and why did he marry her?  Marion was “unlike any woman he had ever known” (page 105).

2.       When the mine cave-in was happening, George told Evelyn, “I married the wrong woman, I made a terrible mistake” (page 287).   Later, when he asked her to marry him, she replied, “Oh, George, the years go.  You can’t have them back” (page 313).  Would George have been happier if he had married Evelyn?

3.       Why do you think many of the characters came back to Bakerton in the end?  For example, Lucy, Arthur, Sandy, Dorothy?

4.       What did you think about Joyce giving up her military career after four years and returning home to take care of Rose?  Would this be any different if the story was set in 2021?

5.       Joyce “longed to devote herself to something of consequence; of the paths open to her, only the military seemed meaningful enough” (page 117).   Even though Joyce was disappointed in the military, did she have any other options?  In the end, did she achieve her goal?

6.       Joyce paid for Lucy’s education, which Lucy seemed to expect, with the understanding that “she’d always been expected to leave…It was the sisters who stayed” (page 315).  Why was Lucy not able to stay away?

7.       When Lucy returned and ran into Steven Fleck and Connie Kulka at the diner, given what Lucy had achieved, why was she so miserable to see them (page 280-281)?

8.       Discuss Dorothy’s time in Washington D. C.  How did her roommate, Patsy Sturgis, and their friendship with Chick Rowsey, influence Dorothy’s life?

9.       What happened to Dorothy?  Mag Spangler called Joyce and had her come to Washington D. C. to get Dorothy.  She told Joyce, “Something is terribly wrong with Dorothy” (page 176).

10.   Discuss the importance of food in the story.

a.       Rose was not able to quit eating sweets after husband’s funeral.

b.       Rose encouraging Lucy to eat with her, even though Lucy was overweight and unhappy (pages 141-142).

c.       Lucy eventually lost her taste for food after friend pointing out she had a great figure (page 238).

d.       Traditional ethnic dishes mentioned in the story. 

e.       Dorothy cooking for Arthur, “an Italian soup he couldn’t get enough of…He had never eaten so well in his life” (page 323).

11.   Have you ever heard of “the trough dance?”  It is defined as “when a younger sibling gets married before an older sibling; the older sibling is supposed to get in the hog trough and dance. This is done to bless the younger sibling's wedding, as it was once believed to be bad luck for a younger sibling to marry before an older sibling” (www.megasound1.blogspot.com).  How do you think this made the older siblings feel?

12.   As you were reading the story, what did you think Sandy was doing during those years? Why do you think the author never filled in his story?

13.   Did you like the ending of the novel – pages 330-332 quickly wrapped everything up and pages 333-334 introduced new people to area?

*****

First Semester Success, 2nd edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com and wordassociation.com.

The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd

 

Characters

Lily Owens T. Ray – father Deborah – mother, deceased   Rosaleen Daise – raised Lily after mother died   Calendar Sisters: August Boatwright June – teacher, played cello May – twin sister, April, deceased   Zachary Taylor – “Zach” – main helper with bees, football player, dreams of being a lawyer   Neil – principal at June’s school, married June   Daughters of Mary: Queenie Violet – Queenie’s grown daughter Lunelle – hat maker Mabelee Cressie Otis Hill Sugar-Girl – Otis’ wife   Clayton Forrest – attorney Becca – daughter Miss Lucy

For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers from paperback edition.

1.       Why did June resent Lily for most of the novel?   Could you understand why she resisted marrying Neil for so long?

2.       Discuss May’s character.   Were you surprised at what happened to her at end of novel?  Consider the following:

a.       She sang “Oh! Susanna” which “seemed to be her personal way of warding off crying” (page 85)

b.       Her morning banana had to be perfect – no bruises (page 85).

c.       The stone wall she made and then tucked notes between the stones with things that upset her.

3.       Did you ever have “day-of-the-week” panties?  Was it a good way to describe how upset Lily was after May’s death to write that “I took to wearing my days-of-the-week panties out of order?  It could be Monday and I’d have on underwear saying Thursday.  I just didn’t care” (page 215).

4.       The novel was set in 1964.  Did it give you any insights into current or previous race relations?  Consider:

a.       When Lily first came to stay with the Boatwright sisters, she felt uncomfortable around June.  Lily realized, “This was a great revelation – not that I was white but that it seemed like June might not want me here because of my skin color.  I hadn’t known this was possible – to reject people for being white” (page 87).

b.       Lily’s realization that “I’d thought that white people and colored people getting along was the big aim, but after that I decided everybody being colorless together was a better plan” (page 209). 

5.       The novel was published in 2002.  How much do you think the context of the current times influences your appreciation or what you take away from a book?  If you read this book earlier, do you think your “reading” changed due to the upheaval of the current times?

6.       Besides race relations, what were the other themes in the novel?  How well do you think the author addressed them?  Did you gain any new insights?

7.       Discuss Zach and his dream of becoming a lawyer.  Lily told him, “You’ve got to hear of these things before you can imagine them,” but Zach replied, “You gotta imagine what’s never been” (page 121).  Do you think he will achieve his goal?

8.       Did you like the comparison between a bee hive and real life?  August told Lily, “The world is really one big bee yard, and the same rules worked fine in both places” (page 92).   Do you think these “rules” are valid?

a.       “Don’t be afraid, as no life-loving bee wants to sting you,”

b.       “Still, don’t be an idiot: wear long sleeves and long pants.  Don’t swat,”

c.       ”If you feel angry, whistle.  Anger agitates, while whistling melts a bee’s temper,”

d.       “Act like you know what you’re doing, even if you don’t,” and

e.       “Above all, send the bees love.  Every little thing wants to be loved” (page 92).

9.       After learning Deborah’s story, could you understand how she could leave Lily with T. Ray?

10.   Did you feel any sympathy for T. Ray after his visit to Angela’s where he mistook Lily for Deborah?   Why or why not?

11.   Should everyone have told Lily the truth about what happened to her mother or should they have kept the truth from her?

*****

First Semester Success, 2nd edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com and wordassociation.com.