Voorheesville Public Library

QUESTIONS

It’s the Depression. There’s little money and the coal deposits in the mine where Albert works are dwindling. How does the family keep despair at bay?
How is Albert different from the men he works with at the mine?
Why doesn’t Albert understand Jonah’s refusal of his dinner invitation? Where else does Albert show himself to be stubborn?
In spite of their hardscrabble life, several family members describe moments of serenity. Who are they and how do they achieve this peace?
What are some details and/or scenes that establish the novel’s sense of place and time?
How are religious belief and observance treated in the novel?
What social issues does the book introduce?
What do Tess and Virgie learn from their attempts to identify the mother of the baby in the well?
The Well and the Mine is a story of family love. What keeps it from being simplistic or maudlin?

Questions compiled by Suzanne Fisher (fishers@uhls.lib.ny.us)


	The Well and the Mine by Gin Phillips
	QUESTIONS It’s the Depression. There’s little money and the coal deposits in the mine where Albert works are dwindling. How does the family keep despair at bay? How is Albert different from the men he works with at the mine? Why doesn’t Albert understand Jonah’s refusal of his dinner invitation? Where else does Albert show himself to be stubborn? In spite of their hardscrabble life, several family members describe moments of serenity. Who are they and how do they achieve this peace? What are some details and/or scenes that establish the novel’s sense of place and time? How are religious belief and observance treated in the novel? What social issues does the book introduce? What do Tess and Virgie learn from their attempts to identify the mother of the baby in the well? The Well and the Mine is a story of family love. What keeps it from being simplistic or maudlin? Questions compiled by Suzanne Fisher (fishers@uhls.lib.ny.us)