1. In the early part of the novel, Sibby tries to get Cora to be more proactive socially, but to no avail. Yet Sibby obviously enjoys, perhaps even flaunts, her prowess over boys and her social acumen. Did you find Sibby to be a sympathetic character, or did you think she should have been more sensitive to Cora's feelings?

2. The church that Cora grew up in is portrayed as a supportive community, yet the church she joins with Aaron is suspicious and divisive. Did the descriptions successfully portray the range in the nature of the religious groups?

3. The black and white tobacco pickers exhibit a camaraderie while working that is belied by the underlying racial tensions in the community. Discuss how this uneasy truce could have been typical of the times.

4. How did Nita Raines help Cora find the strength to change her situation? Would Cora have found the courage to leave Aaron without Nita's support?

5. Many people question why women stay in violent situations. Was it convincing that Cora tried unsuccessfully to run away from Aaron once, then was afraid to attempt it again? Were her reasons for staying with him credible?

6. Did Cora's seeming passivity elicit your sympathy or your exasperation? Do you believe that her attitude and feeling of worthlessness is typical of abused women?

7. Cora's son, Joshua, is her anchor in life, the one thing she holds on to in the midst of the chaos of living with Aaron. Would Cora have left Aaron earlier if she hadn't had a child, or would she have never left him?

8. How did you feel about Aaron's death at the end of the novel? Were Cora's actions justified?

9. Cora's handicap seems like an insurmountable limitation while she is in rural Virginia, but once she moves to San Francisco, she realizes that in a big city her limp is not very noticeable, and that she can indeed work and be independent. How much of one's perception of oneself is defined by one's milieu and economic circumstances?

10. Is Leslie Wells's most important topic the importance of putting a stop to domestic violence? Is it the role of fiction to encourage the support of worthy causes?