Jim the Boy -- Prologue

At first I thought Jim (the boy) was the subject of Zeno's letter and the body of the novel would take place as a flashback telling the story of the events that lead up to Jim's death. But I quickly realized that Jim's (the boy) father was the one who died.

I wonder why Jim (the father) is estranged from his father, Amos, and will Amos ever meet his grandson. I think he will and the letter foreshadows this being an event later in the book.

Discussion Question

Read these lines from a review of Jim the Boy, and tell me what you think.

"Jim is 10. His mother is a widow. They live in the small town of Aliceville with Jim's three uncles, Zeno, Coran and Al. And they're content."

1. Does it make you want to read the book? If you like thrillers, it could be a turn-off. Did reading the prologue change your mind?

It would make me wonder if there would be much action or excitement in the book or if it was a series of anecdotes in the daily life of a 10 year old coming of age in rural North Carolina. After reading the prologue, I realized there is going to be an element of mystery in the book as there are now some questions to be answered.