Questions to Discuss About Travels With Charly, by John Steinbeck

 Thanks to Marcia for these discussion questions! 

Here are a few questions from Google to get us thinking:

1.     How was Charley used in Steinbeck’s dealings with people during his journey? 

2.     Would you say that Charley was an important part of how Steinbeck met people?

3.     Steinbeck packs Rocinante very carefully before his departure. What are some items of importance that he takes and why? What did he find useful on the journey?  What do the things he packs indicate about his attitude towards his trip?  Why did he name his Camper Truck Rocinante?

4.     Steinbeck talks to a farmer about America’s growing disinterest in politics. Even though Travels with Charley took place in the 1960’s, do you feel that Steinbeck’s observation is applicable to current American society?

5.     Steinbeck stops to visit a grove of redwoods in his native California. What does that response reveal about his overall attitude towards America’s natural environment? What was Charley’s reaction to the redwoods?

6.     How is racism explored in the text? Does Steinbeck embrace racial equality in American society?

7.     Steinbeck emphasizes the idea that there really are no strangers in America. What do you think he means?

8.     How does Steinbeck's definition of "America" change from the beginning of his trip to this final homecoming, and do you think he actually found what he was looking for on the road?

Questions to Discuss about Real Americans, August 17, 2026

 Questions for Real Americans

Characters:

Lily— narrator of the first section, American whose parents are both

immigrants from China

Matthew Allen/Maier— Lily’s husband, son of a wealthy family who owns a

pharmaceutical company

Otto— Matthew’s father Delia— Matthew’s stepmother

Lily’s mother— May

Nico/Nick— narrator of the second section, Lily and Mathew’s son

Sam Maier— Nick’s half brother, Matthew’s son

1. What were the problems created between Lily and Matthew because of

their class and cultural differences?

2. How much of our families’ past controls our future, in your opinion?

3. What are the cultural barriers to belonging? What harms are caused by

barriers? How is this addressed in the United States?

4. Why does Lily separate Nick from Matthew?

5. Who experiences the strongest sense of cultural displacement?

Lily, Nick, May, others

6. How do you feel about genetic engineering? What are the best traits?

7. When have you looked like you belonged, yet not felt like you belonged?

8. What does it say about May’s character when she decided to consume

the seed of an ancient lotus seed?

9. What is your idea of a “Real American”? What is your immigrant/

Ancestor heritage in your family? Please share if you want to.

Rachel Khong was the winner of the California Book Award for First Fiction.

This is her second novel. She was born in Malaysia and lives in California.

https://youtu.be/KacBx40aaxk?si=5K5K9aKS5wXJnoyb   Link to author interview sent by Cindy

https://morgantonscientific.ncssm.edu/articles/xgky2283  This is a link to a short article Cindy sent, called "Designer Babies: a Tale of Horrific Immoralities", by Ganga Nair. 

This is an article Joyce sent:

CRISPR Technology and Real Americans 

You may have recognized the similarity of the genetic manipulation that is described in Real Americans to an actual medical procedure known as CRISPR. CRISPR technology is a powerful scientific tool that has been used to change and fix DNA at exact spots. Its main key parts are Cas9 (molecular scissors) and Guide RNA (the finder). It lets experts treat genetic sickness. 

How It Works

• First, it finds a small piece of RNA that is the the exact bad code for an illness or genetic defect in the DNA.
• Then the Cas9 protein acts like a tiny pair of scissors to cut the DNA strand at that spot.
• And finally the cell fixes the cut, allowing scientists to turn off a bad gene, delete it, or put in a new healthy piece.

• It has been used to medicine to treat sickle cell disease and has been tested for cancer and other illnesses.

Image taken from https://crisprtx.com/gene-editing

All human beings begin with the combination of the genes of their two parents.

Today parents can learn the gender of a conception prenatally and can treat a small number of genetic and congenital conditions, including spinal muscular atrophy, cystic fibrosis, and spina bifida, before birth using medications or surgeries to alter disease progression in the womb. Of course, what is different in Real Americans is that they are attempting to suppress the genetic contribution of one of the partners. When egg and sperm combine at conception, chromosomes from each parent pair up, and the genes from one parent are zipped up to similar genes from the other parent. The information contained in the dominant gene or genes in a pair are what is usually expressed in the person’s body. The information from a recessive gene is usually not expressed in the phenotype unless the gene is paired with another recessive gene.

Ethical issues remain as we move into the era of gene manipulation. For instance, who will decide what is considered a disorder or disability? Is it ethical to manipulate genes to make someone taller, or smarter, or more athletic?

Questions for Discussion of The Sound of Murder - February 2026

The Sound of Murder

The story is about the death of the understudy of the main character in the 1959 stage production of The Sound of Music, Maria, and how the Assistant Stage Manager, Lee Solomon, has to uncover the killer before they kill again.

It is also an exercise in time travel, with nostalgia (perhaps) for those of us who remember the many changes in the last 50 years or so: pay phones and carbon copies (and correction fluid) are a thing of the past. And also how much the theatre has changed with the coming of the internet, mobile phones, and computers that make scenery move and lighting changes. The story might be different if Mary Martin could have worn contact lenses.

Some things remain the same - the rockinessof relationships on the road, the humanity and kindness of many people, great talent in the arts and also great insecurity of many in the acting profession where people, especially women, are judged on their age and appearance.

1. Did you enjoy the book? Think it was too long? Would you read the 2nd one in the series when it is published - based on Fiddler on the Roof?

2. Who was your favourite character? Was there a character whose motivations you found difficult to understand? Did you have a picture in your imagination of the characters?

3. How did the pressures of working on a Rodgers & Hammerstein production affect the behaviours of the characters?

4. How did the author portray Mary Martin as a person? And her qualities as an actress? She was playing a character meant to be a lot younger than her.

5. The novel suggests everyone involved had a strong incentive to keep the murder quiet. Did you find it plausible that the cast and crew would conspire to hide a death?

6. How did the late 1950s era influence the way the crime was handled by the police?

7. If this story were adapted into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?

8. Was the reveal of the murderer a surprise to you, or had you already guessed?

 

Reserved for Post about The Book Club for Troublesome Women January 2026

Preparation / Questions to Ponder for Discussion of Funny Farm - 12/15/25

1. Would you consider volunteering, or have you volunteered at an animal rescue/shelter? Adopted or consider adopting a rescued animal?

2. What did you think were the lessons about life, and love?  Any lessons or take aways?

3. Have you read other animal memoirs?  Which did you like more? compare

4. How did Laurie's life change or stay the same as she starts her animal sanctuary?

5. Discuss how Laurie's relationships with family, volunteers and animals change?

6. Did you learn anything about animal rescue sanctuaries?  Animal welfare? 

7. Did any animal's story resonate with you?  Which one?

8. Was there anything that surprised you about the story?

9. Did you enjoy the memoir? (the humor, events,  writing?)

10. Would you recommend this book to others? 

Want to see more?  You can find Funny Farm Rescue on Facebook (located in Mays Landing NJ)

Reserved for Post about October 2025 Discussion of The Medicine Woman of Galveston

 

The Medicine Woman of Galveston

Medical Conditions in the Characters in The Medicine Woman of Galveston

Down syndrome

This is the result of a chromosomal abnormality, with an extra copy of the 21st chromosome (referred to as trisomy because there are three chromosomes instead of two). It is the most common chromosomal condition diagnosed in the United States today, in about 5,700 babies born in the U.S. each year. I don’t have historical numbers on the incidence. There are distinct physical signs of Down syndrome that include facial features, such as a flattened face, especially the bridge of the nose, almond-shaped eyes that slant up, a protruding tongue (it actually is a small jaw cavity, not a large tongue), poor muscle tone, and shorter than average height. There is some degree of mental impairment, but individuals with Down syndrome have a wide range of abilities and outcomes, with significant variations depending on factors such as genetics, medical care, and support systems. Toby seems to be high-functioning. There are other medical problems as well that include congenital heart defects and hearing loss. Maternal age is a risk factor but we do not know for sure why Down syndrome occurs or how many different factors play a role.

 

Trichotillomania

A mental health condition that involves frequent, repeated and irresistible urges to pull out hair from the scalp, eyebrows or other areas of the body. Even when sufferers try to resist the urges, they can’t stop. Pulling out hair from the scalp often leaves patchy bald spots. Mild cases can be managed, but for others, the automatic or deliberate urge to pull out hair is too much to handle emotionally. There is an increasing sense of tension before pulling out the hair and a sense of pleasure or relief after the hair is pulled out. Risk factors include a family history of the condition (so there may be a genetic factor), age (often develops in the early teens), gender (women more than men after adolescence), mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety or obsessive- compulsive disorder (OCD), and stress.

 

Gigantism

Gigantism is a very rare condition that happens when a child or adolescent has high levels of growth hormone produced by the pituitary gland. A noncancerous tumor on the pituitary can produce the excessive growth hormone. The production occurs before the growth plates in the child’s bones have fused. The condition is difficult to diagnose because children grow at different rates, and some go through their growth spurt earlier than others; but today it can be diagnosed through blood tests. In children, surgery to remove or reduce the size of the pituitary tumor is the most common treatment, or radiation therapy can help lower the level of growth hormone.

 

Bow legs

This is a normal development in most babies, typically present from birth to around 2 years of age, and most cases of physiologic bowing resolve on their own by the age of 3. Bowing beyond that age can be caused by rickets (a vitamin D deficiency), dwarfism or some genetic disorder. The severity of bowing can vary, and the condition is more common in boys than girls.

 

If you would like more information on the storm, you can visit these sites:

September 8, 2025, marked the 125th anniversary of the Galveston hurricane:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5lProvEPGc

Website of the Galveston History Center:

https://www.galvestonhistorycenter.org/research/1900-storm

Visit Galveston website:

https://www.galvestonhistorycenter.org/research/1900-storm

The Residence Book Club Questions 9/16/25

Planning for a blog post to replace these questions...later!

The Residence Book Club Questions

1.   Does the book provide insight into what it’s like for the first family to live in the White House?

2.    Which president and first lady had the best relationship with the staff, and why? Most difficult, and why?

3.    3. Do you think Nancy Reagan was justified in being angry with the head housekeeper over broken keepsakes?

4.    4. Did you get a new insight into a particular president or first lady from their personal habits?

5.    5. Was there one butler, maid, chef, or florist who you felt a connection to?

6.    What did you learn from this book about living in the White House?

7.    Should members of the residence staff sign legal agreements barring them from sharing details about their experiences?

8.    HOMEWORK: Get information to share with the group about a former chilc resident (or first lady) about what they are doing now after having lived at the White House.