Jeannette Walls’s latest book, the novel Hang the Moon, takes us through the very rich life of scrappy heroine Sallie Kincaid. When you finish the novel, which is set in early 20th-century Virginia, you’ll be stunned by its depth. There’s so much that is begging to be explored! Find some focus for conversation and contemplation with these questions for discussion. Note that spoilers follow. Want more about Hang the Moon, including wine pairings? Check out the full Page & Pairing guide.

Hang the Moon

by Jeannette Walls

1. Upon Sallie’s return to the Big House, the Duke makes it her job to “bring out the Kincaid” in her stepbrother Eddie (page 44). What does it mean to be a Kincaid? Besides the Duke and Sallie, are there any characters that also display classic “Kincaid” traits?

2. Consider the Duke’s phrase “I’ll treat you fair, but I won’t treat you special” (page 74). What do you think of this principle? How does it show up throughout the story? Are there any moments that contradict this idea?

3. As Sallie grows up, there are several times she can be seen emulating her father. For example, she parrots the way he says “Steady” when trying to teach Eddie to drive the Defiance Coaster. What lessons does Sallie take away from her father? At what point does she come into her own and deviate from his education?

4. Marriage is a major theme throughout the novel, and a big question for Sallie, who is “not sure [she’ll] ever want to get married” (page 34). How is marriage represented in Hang the Moon? How does marriage differ between the time period in the book and now?

5. For much of the book, Aunt Faye seems like a pitiable and weak-hearted character in need of defense. However, we learn more as the story goes on. How does your view of Aunt Faye transform over the course of the novel?

6. Sallie cares a great deal about heirlooms. She keeps her mother’s moonstone necklace, she secures Jane’s sterling silver hairbrush so that Eddie can have “something of his mama’s” (page 53), and she acknowledges how much the Kincaid jewels might mean to Mattie. Why do you think Sallie places so much importance on these items?

7. Overcoming long-held grudges and breaking generational curses are key to the plot of Hang the Moon. For example, the feud between the Bonds and Kincaids can be traced back to a land dispute between the families’ grandfathers. In the face of these conflicts, what does Sallie do that helps her succeed where others have failed?

8. Though Sallie is used to being the biggest fish her side of the pond, Georgette Rheims’s wealth blows her out of the water. Georgette dredges up insecurities Sallie never knew she had and shares some harsh truths. Imagine how differently things may have turned out had Georgette never contacted Sallie. Do you think her husband’s assessment of her motivations is accurate? Or is there more to the story?

9. Think about all the women in the story — Sallie, Aunt Faye, Jane, Kat, Mattie, Gloria, Georgette, and others — and think about how they either buck or conform to traditional gender roles. How have these women’s lives been shaped by their own choices versus the desires of the men around them?

10. At the end of the novel, Sallie has a flashback to a memory of her mother that had been long forgotten, and she wonders if it is truly a memory or just wishful thinking. What do you think? Does it change the conclusions Sallie draws from her experiences one way or the other?

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