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Book Club questions

 

To arrange a 30-minute virtual Book Club visit, send a message to: info@williammatthewruberry.com

1.    What three aspects of the book relate to the title? How so?
2.    How does Jack’s view of race evolve during the book?
       a.    What other characters in the book help with that evolution? How?
3.    What examples of racism does Jack encounter and how does he deal with them?
4.    What obstacles does Jack face in seeking harmony and how does he overcome them?
5.    What does going vertical and going horizontal mean to Jack?
6.    How are smoking and tobacco products portrayed in the book?
       a.    What is Jack’s opinion of tobacco products? Why does he have this opinion?
       b.    What other character in the book shares Jack’s opinion? Why?
       c.    What is the first indication in the book of how tobacco products are portrayed?
7.    What role do sports play in the book?
       a.    What characters are involved in sports?
8.    Does Jack’s view of history and of the past evolve during the book? How so?
9.    What is Jack’s favorite type of music?
       a.    Why is music important to Jack?
       b.    Do other characters in the book enjoy music? Who? What types do they enjoy?
10.    Do Jack’s views of the Civil War evolve during the book? If so, how?
11.    Does Jack want to remain a newspaper reporter in the long run?
         a.    If not, what is his ambition?
12.    What is Jack’s first byline story?
         a.    How does that story relate to what comes later?
13.    Does Jack like animals?
         a.    What role do animals play in the book?
14.    Is Jack a churchgoer? Why or why not?
         a.    Is he religious?
15.    What are the three house plants mentioned in the story? Are they significant? How so?

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