Examine the opening chapter. How does Grisham situate the reader in the setting of Black Oak, Arkansas, in 1952? Consider diction, description, voice, mood, and tone.

How would you characterize the narrative voice that Grisham crafts for the seven-year-old Luke? Does Luke sound like a child his age? Why or why not? Why does Grisham render Luke’s voice the way he does?

The novel includes many examples of prejudice along the lines of class, race, and gender. Stacey’s mean-spirited questioning of Luke in Chapter 19 is a particularly striking example. What commentary does the novel produce about the causes and impacts of prejudice? Do any of the characters have prejudices that shift over the course of the narrative?