1. Why does Jeremy Simms sympathize with the Logan family and why does he finally help smuggle Moe Turner out of Strawberry?

2. Is Taylor's depiction of either the whites or blacks in the novel onesided, or does she manage to show a diversity of attitudes and personalities in each group?

3. The novel is filled with references to reading and writing, such as allusions to Dashiell Hammett and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. According to this novel, what is the value of literacy? In what ways do reading and writing give Cassie Logan and Solomon Bradley power?

4. What does the 1938 Ford represent to Stacey? To Cassie? Why doesn't Stacey plan to fix the scratches that were made on the car while it was parked at the service station?

5. Although Cassie claims to ignore Moe's attempts to court her, what clues are there that she is actually attracted...