Glad You Asked

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1: Compare Beth's method of persuading a reluctant husband with that of the little girl with her parents. How would you have handled either situation?

2: Tiger enjoys being the center of attention and is resentful when she is supplanted by the new baby. Is there a way this jealousy could have been avoided?

3: How do you think Beth forcing Sam to abandon Tiger will affect their marriage in the long term?

4: Compare Tiger's early life with her life in the loft, both before and after she and the kittens are discovered.

5: What is Charlie and Pam's relationship at the beginning of Chapter Four? How and why has it changed by the end of the chapter?

6: Was the outcome of the fishing trip predictable? Compare Tiger's third Christmas with her first two.

7: At the end of the truck ride, was it easy or difficult to identify Tiger's new location from the description given?

8: Was your first impression of Tony good or bad? Did it change, and if so, why?

9: Would the Baldwin household be a good permanent home for Tiger? Why or why not?

10: Why do you think someone like Red would take a boy like David under his wing? What about a stray cat?

11: List some of the hazards of life on the road. Are Red and Hoppy really as trapped as they tell David they are?

12: Compare the reactions of the various travelers to the circus environment. Is it a life you yourself might enjoy?

13: How is the relationship of Sarge and Billy different from that of Red and David? How the same?

14: Is the treatment the travelers receive at the hands of the local police appropriate to the situation? In your opinion is it a typical response?

15: What do you think is the basis for Caroline's low opinion of her in-laws? Do you think it's justified?

16: Were you surprised by Caroline's reception at Joe's house? Tiger's?

17: Is this a typical Mexican-American family? Why or why not?

18: To what do you attribute the change in Caroline's attitude at the end of Chapter 15?

19: Given the same situation, would you have told Joe about the twins' escapade? Do you think he'll eventually find out, and if he does, how is he likely to react?

20: Do you agree with the decision to pack up and move to California, or should they have tried to stick it out where they were?

21: Did you consider the ending to be believable or far-fetched? Were you happy with the final outcome?

22: What do you think is the central theme of the story?

23: What other social or political issues are touched on?

24: Of all the human characters in the book, which did you most identify with and why?

To suggest other possible questions, send an email to kathieSfreeman@att.net (without the "S") with your ideas.

Kathie Freeman is the author of "Catwalk, A Feline Odyssey", the engaging tale of a vagabond tabby cat, and "The Retro", the story of an unholy alliance of science and government.