DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Deacon King Kong
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·             The book starts off with a focus on Sportcoat and how he shot the drug dealer Deems Clemens and no one really knows why. It also discusses how his wife Hettie died. Let’s talk about our thoughts on this opening. 

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·       Hettie comes to Sportcoat throughout the novel. Do you think she was just a figment of his imagination when he was drunk or do you think she really showed up as a spirit? Or do you think the author left it open-ended to interpretation? Let’s discuss!

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·       In the beginning, there’s an emphasis on bad luck following Sportcoat wherever he goes.  Do you think this is true or was it all self-inflicted? 

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·       Sportcoat seems to not remember shooting Deems. But he’ll talk about how Deems shouldn’t have given up his baseball career to sell drugs. Why do you think he shot Deems?

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·       When Deems is in the hospital toward the end, Sportcoat appears to remember shooting him and he goes into a rage. What is behind his rage toward Deems?

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·       There’s a ton of characters and layers to this story beyond Sportcoat. What did you think about all the different characters?

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·       Were you engaged with the story from the get go or was it more of a slow burn read?

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·       What did you think about Elefante’s storyline and about the “soap,” which was actually the oldest three-dimensional object in the world?

·       What did you think about the romance between Sister Gee and Potts?

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·       Let’s talk about the revelations from Sister Paul and her friendship with Old Guido Elefante. Do you think Sportcoat went right to Elefante about the “soap?”

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·       Let’s talk about the title and Sportcoat’s reaction when he found out his nickname is “Deacon King Kong.”

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·       After Deems and Elefante have their final confrontation, it’s revealed at the end that he went back to baseball. Let’s talk about Sportcoat’s influence on this. 

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·       What do you think actually happened to the Christmas box?

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·       Sportcoat is often viewed as a dead man but he gets saved again and again. Do you think there was a bigger message there?

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·       What did you think about the ending overall? Did it feel like closure or did you want more from it?

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·       McBride said this novel is a book about church. Let’s discuss this. 

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·       Why do you think the author decided to set the book in 1969? 

           * Some questions from Book Club Chat.



 
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