Readers Guide Questions for A Gentle Rain

 

1. Joey Thocco represents both the progress we've made in accepting handicapped people as individuals but also the lingering cruelty and prejudice. Do you think society's attitude toward the mentally challenged has improved significantly since "the bad old days?"
   
   
2. There is still much debate about the proper term for people with mental challenges. While we no longer use ugly terms such as "retarded," many people contend that even descriptions like "handicapped" are prejudiced. What do you think?
   
   
3. Have you ever vacationed in Florida? Do you think Florida has a strange and quirky personality?
   
   
4. Kara is portrayed as one of the world's richest young women. Beyond the obvious differences -- no worries about bills -- how different do you think the rich really are from the rest of us?
   
   
5. If you had a billion dollars, what would you do with it?
   
   
6. Ben is not your typical cowboy but in some ways, he fits the stereotype. What is your image of a "real" cowboy? John Wayne? Or the scruffy characters on shows such as HBO's Deadwood?
   
   
7. Have you ever had an encounter with an alligator?
   
   
8. Have you ever been to Disney World in Orlando? What'd you think of it?
   
   
9. Do you think a man and a woman can have a happy marriage if she's rich and he's not? Is it important for men to make an equal or greater income than their wives?
   
   
10. Have you known anyone in Kara's situation, that is: an adult child caring for handicapped parents? What are the special challenges of caring for special-needs parents?

 Copyright © 2008, Deborah Smith