As more and more book clubs meet to read and discuss Sewing Holes, here are some questions to get the discussion started:
- The protagonist of Sewing Holes, Tupelo Honey Lee, is bullied by a neighbor child named Kat. What caused Kat to be a bully? How did Honey choose to handle the bullying? Was it effective?
- Honey’s cousin Susie comes to live with the Lee family, and Honey has to deal with her own feelings of jealousy. How does this lead to Honey seeing how a bully might feel? Discuss how their new, non-traditional family structure leads to Honey learning that hearts are big enough to hold love for many people.
- The role of children in families has clearly changed from the 1970’s to the present. Were female children valued by the various characters in this book? How was it similar or different in your family?
- Honey’s family is torn apart due to differing opinions on the Vietnam War conflict. What is the nature of patriotism? Does it take cowardice or courage to refuse to fight?
- After a series of incidents, Honey comes to believe she can heal people through prayer. Then she is unable to save her own father, which results in a crisis of faith. How do different people react differently when things don’t go their way? How do some people find hope in the midst of despair?
- After her father dies, Honey tries to limit her mother’s grief and return things to “normal.” Instead, she makes things much worse. How important is it to let people be who they are, instead of trying to control them?
If your book club develops additional topics or questions, please send them to Darlyn Finch Kuhn at http://darlynfinchkuhn.com/contact/ .
