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Characters |
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Francine Robideaux Whiting – widow, owns Empire
Grill C. B. – husband, deceased, 2nd family in
Mexico Cindy – daughter, crippled in accident, loves Miles
(born the same day as Miles in same hospital) Miles Roby – runs diner, will inherit from Francine Christina “Tick” – daughter Janine – wife, getting a divorce, teaches aerobics,
lost considerable weight David – brother, crippled arm from accident Parents: Max – smoker but always borrowed, spit food Grace Customers: Walt Comeau “The Silver Fox” – engaged to Janine,
owns fitness club Horace Weymouth – reporter High Schook: Candace Burke – Tick’s new friend John Voss – picked on at school Justin Dibble - student Otto Meyer – principal Mrs. Roderigue – art teacher Charlene – works at diner, divorced four times Jimmy Minty – police officer, always bumped side of
diner when he parked Zack Minty – Tick’s old boyfriend St. Catherine’s parish: Father Mark Father Tom – dementia, always told what he heard in
confessional Callahan’s Bar – owned by Bea, Janine’s mother |
Memory Sections |
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Chapter 8: Miles – age 9 – Martha’s Vineyard Mr. Miller – met them at ferry Charlie Mayne – really C. B. Poison ivy Chapter 14: Miles – junior high school Max lost license and sold car Miles – Driver’s Ed class Mr. Brown – Driver’s Ed teacher and baseball coach Mr. Boniface – principal Chapter 19: Miles age 9 – home from Martha’s Vineyard Mother pregnant by Max Max home Chapter 22: Miles – high school sophomore Shirt factory closed Grace working for Mrs. Whiting Chapter 26: Miles – 4 years after high school graduation Epilogue: C. B. ran over Cindy Suicide |
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NOTE: Page
numbers are from the hardback edition.
1.
Grace
was disappointed that Miles came back home – she wanted him to finish college
and move on. Later he felt he had no
choice but to stay because of his own child.
David told him, “You claim you are sticking it out for Tick, but do you
know what the kid’s going to be if you aren’t careful? She’ll be the next manager of the Empire
Grill” (page 119). Miles’ response was,
“Over my dead body” (page 119). Is he
any different from his mother? What
could he have done differently in the past and in the current time?
2.
Discuss
Miles – he ended up asking Cindy out even though he had no intention of doing
so. Also, he was unable to ask Francine
about liquor license.
3.
Grace’s
life’s philosophy was that it “was a person’s duty on earth, God’s plan –
spelled out in the Bible, to make life a little more fair” (page 166). This is what she thought when she told Miles
that he had a special duty toward Cindy after the accident. How did this idea affect his life? Was this
fair to him?
4.
Discuss
the other characters – Janine, The Silver Fox, Charlene, Max, and others. What did they add to the story? Did the author do a good job describing
them?
5.
How
well did the author depict the atmosphere in high school? Was it fair of Mr. Meyer to ask Tick to
befriend John Voss?
6.
When
John Voss was shooting at the school, why was he going to shoot Tick? She was his only friend.
7.
What
did his habit of hurting dogs and then soothing them tell you about John
Voss? Was there a connection to him
being stuffed in a laundry bag and hung from the hook on the closet door? What could have been done to help him?
8.
On
page 124, the author wrote about Horace seeing something, but he did not tell
the reader what it was until page 423 (John Voss beating a dog chained to a
stake.) Did that bother you? Did you make the connection when you read
page 423?
9.
After
the shooting, when Miles took Tick to Martha’s Vineyard, in the library he was
mistaken for a professor or writer. The
author wrote, “To be told, at forty-three, that he looked like what he’s meant
to be only increased Miles’ sense of personal failure” (page 468). Should he have felt this way? Was his life a failure?
10.
While
on the island he visited the cabin where he and his mother stayed and, in a
dream, saw Charlie Mayne. In the dream he
told Miles that he, Miles, had killed his mother. That if it had not been for
Miles she would have gone with Mayne. Do
you think this is true?
11.
This
book was published in 2001. What did you
think about the references to sex with Janine?
Was it tasteful and important to the story? How would this have been written today?
12.
Were
there any parts you found particularly enjoyable or satisfying? For example:
a.
Fracine
being washed away by the river that C.B. rerouted years ago and with the cat
riding on her body.
b.
Max
being “sempty.”
c.
Jimmy
Minty being arrested for stealing.
13.
Why
do you think the author chose such a negative ending? Did you find anything positive? If the ending had been more positive would
the book have been so successful?
