1. State in a couple of sentences what you think this novel is about and then discuss your reasoning.

2. How do the main characters develop and change (or not change) over the course of the novel? Why do they change or not change?

3. Would you say this novel has a happy ending or a sad ending? Why?

4. How did the experiences of the character Zuba add to or detract from your reading of the novel?

5. Would you say that the floatplane represents something beyond a floatplane in the novel? If so, what?

6. How did the multiple voices (character narrators) of the novel affect your enjoyment of the reading?

7. What direction, generally, is Mark’s life headed at the end of the novel? Why?

8. How did racism in the novel influence your interest in and concern for the main characters?

9. How does Bliss’s point of view as an outsider affect the story?

10. How did the vine add to or detract from the story for you?

11. What experiences or characters in your own life resemble those in the novel?

12. In what ways would you say that this novel is southern? universal?