Salvage the Bones Lesson Plan

How does the novel open? What information are we given about the various members of the Batiste family from this first chapter?

The novel opens with China, a fighter pit bull, giving birth, and the family gathering to watch the moment. The children seem like a tightknit group; their father present, but distant - literally and figuratively. The children stand together all watching China give birth, while their father prepares for the hurricane in the background, occasionally walking over to give a word of advice before wandering off again. Their mother has passed away and the kids all look out for one another. Their father is around, but a drunk in his grief, and not a...