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In Mexico, Julius uses Henry’s miniature gun to steal from men he seduces: “The tiny gun a kind of joke about violence, like a stick of dynamite in a cartoon.” What does the small gun represent to Julius? Is he wrong to think that the story will travel and lead him back to Henry?ġ0. How does she view the land and its history, and how might that differ from how Lee and other newcomers see it? Given her feelings, what did you make of the offer she makes to Muriel at the end?ĩ. Sandra, whom Muriel falls in love with, expresses a deep attachment to the land she inherited from her father, and a certain resentment for the new people buying up the valley. Lying had erased her from everything.” Muriel and Julius both keep secrets how does this make each of them feel? How does the burden of keeping or revealing secrets affect Muriel and Julius throughout the book?Ĩ. Muriel “liked having a secret, but she did not like lying. How were both men shaped by their upbringing-by the poverty they experienced and the early responsibilities they assumed? How does it impact their relationship as adults?ħ. Through flashbacks and exchanges of dialogue, the novel explores Julius’ and Lee’s relationship to their father, who became extremely religious when they were young.

What do you make of the sense of obligation Julius felt to bring something, and why do you think he picked a horse? Given the horse’s behavior and the problems it causes for Lee and Muriel, what could the horse represent?Ħ. When Julius leaves Las Vegas, he brings Lee and Muriel a horse, which proves very difficult to tame. How does Julius justify taking on increasing risks for Henry? After the fallout, how does Julius feel about his decision? What would you do to protect those you love?ĥ. Julius prides himself on doing honest work for the casino, but ultimately lies to protect Henry. How do various historical elements-the recent end of the Korean War, the testing of bombs in the desert, the misogyny and legal repression of homosexuality-shape the characters’ lives?Ĥ.

The story is set primarily in the American Southwest in the late 1950s. What does owning property mean for her as a woman in that era? How does it affect her relationship with Lee? How might her reluctance also be tied to her relationship to her forward-thinking mother?ģ. Muriel is reluctant to sell her mother’s house in Kansas to help fulfill Lee’s dream of buying land in California. How does the novel’s insight into chance and risk illuminate the characters’ relationships?Ģ. With Muriel’s racetrack betting, Julius’s casino work, and even Lee’s investment in property, risk and gambling play a large role in the book.