The narrative of Taft concerns two fathers whose stories are told concurrently. As a class, discuss how the two fathers of the novel are similar and different. What sorts of challenges does each face? How does one father learn from the other?

Discuss race as it is represented in the novel. How do blacks and whites relate to one another in the narrative? What advances have occurred since the end of Jim Crow? What fears still linger in the South in the way the two races interact?

The novel has two main settings: Coalfield and Memphis. Both exist in the same state and yet are markedly different culturally. Discuss how these differences affect the characters. How do characters from Coalfield adapt to being in Memphis? What do city folk feel about eastern Tennessee?

Discuss the relationship between Fay Taft and John Nickel. What similar...