by Billy Coffey
3. Given the identity of the narrator as revealed in the final chapter, did you feel any sympathy for him? Did you feel sympathy before discovering what he is?
4. Is Hays right in his belief that there is a monster hidden inside us all?
5. How did Wilson and the town council use Bucky’s desire to be sheriff as a means to their own ends?
6. From the beginning of the town’s troubles, much of the focus seems to be on who to hold responsible rather than how best to overcome the curse. Whether God or fate or others, is there a comfort to be found in having someone to blame for our misfortunes?
7. Until the final confrontation at Alvaretta’s cabin, opinion is split on how best to return the town to some semblance of normalcy. Wilson simply wants to ignore the curse, hoping it will go away. Reverend Ramsay wants to treat the curse as a spiritual matter alone. Chessie wants to use fists and iron. Which of these would you have preferred if you lived in the Hollow?
8. What was the true nature of the illness that swept through the town’s young girls?
9. Who, or what, was Alvaretta Graves? A bitter and paranoid old woman, or something more?
Acknowledgments
I am fortunate enough to have a close group of people around me who are blessed with not only expertise in all things literary but also a tremendous amount of patience to deal with a dumb hick like me. Amanda Bostic, Elizabeth Hudson, Jodi Hughes, and Daisy Hutton—every writer should be so blessed to have you alongside. My agent, Claudia Cross—thanks for letting me bend your ear. Kathy Richards, for allowing me to remain an analog guy in a digital world. And most especially my wife and children, who fill my notebooks with not only strong ideas but hearts and I-love-yous too.
You all make me a much better man than I am.
About the Author
Billy Coffey’s critically acclaimed books combine rural Southern charm with a vision far beyond the ordinary. He is a regular contributor to several publications, where he writes about faith and life. Billy lives with his wife and two children in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
Visit him at www.billycoffey.com.
Facebook: billycoffeywriter
Twitter: @billycoffey
