Denver has many different families, including his relatives in Louisiana, his companions while living on the street, the people at the mission, and the Halls. What does the idea of “family” mean to Denver and how does this change, if at all, over the course of the book?

Denver works for “the Man”as a sharecropper in Louisiana, while Ron’s grandfather is “the Man” at his farm in Texas. Compare and contrast Denver’s perception of how he’s treated with the way Ron sees his grandfather treating his field hands.

While Deborah and Ron are close during the early years of their marriage, they grow apart, to the degree Ron has an affair. What caused them to become distant, and what is it that brings them back together?