Hang the Moon

1. General Impressions 

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Have you read other novels set in the American South? What expectations or tropes do you associate with Southern Literature? How does Hang the Moon satisfy or subvert these expectations?
• Jeanette Walls is well known for her memoir, The Glass Castle. If you have read the memoir, how did it inform your reading experience of Hang the Moon? If you have not read the memoir, are you more or less likely to do so now?
• How would you describe Sallie Kincaid? Did you find it easy or challenging to identify and sympathize with her as a protagonist? Would you describe her as a likable character?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection 

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Sallie’s father, Hank, marries multiple times and has children with several different women. Do you have any experiences with blended families? What do you think is necessary for complex or blended family structures to establish loving dynamics?
• Have you ever worked for or observed a family business? Do you think that family businesses tend to run more or less smoothly than other types of businesses?
• Sallie has complex relationships with both her half-brother, Eddie, and her half-sister, Mary.