SPOON
A novel of the contemporary American West, Spoon tells the story of Arcus Witherspoon, a mysterious half-black, half-Indian, oddly clairvoyant man searching the West for his roots. Hitchhiking near Hardin, Montana, Spoon falls in with a ranching family struggling to keep their ranch afl oat amidst the pressures of hard economic times and an encroaching coal company. Proving himself a gifted ranch hand and mentor, Spoon charges himself with rescuing the Darleys and guiding the family’s teenage son TJ on his path to manhood. While Spoon’s checkered past includes a prison stint and a navy tour of Vietnam,
A novel of the contemporary American West, Spoon tells the story of Arcus Witherspoon, a mysterious half-black, half-Indian, oddly clairvoyant man searching the West for his roots. Hitchhiking near Hardin, Montana, Spoon falls in with a ranching family struggling to keep their ranch afl oat amidst the pressures of hard economic times and an encroaching coal company. Proving himself a gifted ranch hand and mentor, Spoon charges himself with rescuing the Darleys and guiding the family’s teenage son TJ on his path to manhood. While Spoon’s checkered past includes a prison stint and a navy tour of Vietnam, it is his tenacity, wisdom, and charm that end up defining this quintessential Western man.
- Fulcrum Publishing
- Hardcover
- October 2009
- 256 Pages
- 9781555916893
Buy the Book
$24.95
About Robert Greer
Robert Greer is author of the CJ Floyd mystery series: The Devil’s Hatband, The Devil’s Red Nickel, The Devil’s Backbone, Resurrecting Langston Blue, The Fourth Perspective, The Mongoose Deception, Blackbird, Farewell, and two medical thrillers. He is a practicing pathologist and professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, and he owns and operates a working cattle ranch in Wyoming.
Praise
Praise for Robert Greer
“Greer relaxes into a lean, loose style that fits his Western mysteries like a beat-up pair of lizard-skin boots.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Robert Greer’s writing becomes more powerful with each novel.”—Washington Times
Discussion Questions
Is there a particular event or scene that influenced the outcome of the book more than another?
How do you feel about Spoon as a person? Would you be friends with him? Do you think he’s clairvoyant?
How much does history affect each of the characters and their relationships with one another?
In what ways is Spoon a traditional Western? Are there ways in which it challenges this genre classification?
What was unique about the setting and how did it enhance or take away from the story?
What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the novel? What do you think he is trying to get across to the reader?
Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?
Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?
In what ways did you identify with the situations and/or characters?
What major emotions did the story evoke in you as a reader?
Many of the ranch owners and families agree that they would die for their land. To what extent does concern for land/property continue today? What would you die for?