Essay Questions

What does the book teach us about American history in the first part of the Twentieth Century?

As well as the human aspect of the novel, the author also gives us a great deal of background about all of the things that contributed to the making of the town of Manifest. We learn that the Great Depression affected Manifest deeply, and the people have still not managed to bounce back economically. Although most can get by, that is all they can do, and the town looks dilapidated because nobody can afford to fix anything.

We learn that World War One was a conflict that deeply resonated with the population of Manifest, so much so that young men like Ned faked their birth certificates so that they could enlist under-age. Patriotism was high, and young men had a profound sense of duty that they felt compelled to exercise.

We also learn that during the war, whilst most of the town would pull together, there were men like the mine owners who would take advantage of the wartime situation, and exploit those who needed work. Because of the war nobody was hiring and people had no choice other than to take a job at the mine, in whatever conditions the mine owners felt like creating. The work was long and arduous; this was a time when workers had few rights and if they didn't like the terms of their employment they could leave, but no improvements were offered and the only alternative was unemployment. The war meant that many young men of the town were killed in action and the town became a shell of itself and also became a town where there were children, women and older adults, but an entire generation of young adult men were lost.

Do you think that the diviner is psychic?

Diviners were exceptionally spiritual and also considered to practice magic. She is able to tell that Abilene feels abandoned, and that she is greatly missing her father, wishing that he had wanted to stay with her. She is extremely sensitive and empathetic to the feelings and energy of others.

She also seems to know that Abilene is Jinx's daughter without being told. Rather than telling Abilene outright that she knows her father, she tells a story about Jinx as a young boy, and leads Abilene to discover for herself his true identity. She also seems to know without being told that Abilene is insightful enough to realize why her father keeps running away, and brave enough to think of a way to get him to come back. She knows Abilene's character without knowing her, and this makes her seem to be psychic.