Book title: Sycamore Row
Author: John Grisham
Evidence
Response
9/12/14 “… a project that often took fifteen minutes, more silent demerits.” (Grisham 18)
Why would she take the job and not take it seriously? Even if it is just for money, you should still show some responsibility. [Q]
9/12/14 “The return address was ‘Seth Hubbard, P.O. Box 227, Palmyra, Mississippi, 38664’.” (Grisham 18)
Seth sent the letter to Jake before he died and it’s probably asking him to take care of his will. [P]
9/12/14 “I specifically cut out my two adult children, their children, and my two ex-wives.” (Grisham 19)
If there are no more close relatives… who is in will, then? [Q]
9/12/14 “Should he leave the letter, the envelope, and the other sheets of paper exactly where they were, and run fetch Ozzie? Should he call a judge?” (Grisham 20)
He’s going to fulfill the wishes of Seth’s letter/will because that’s the kind of person Jake is. [P]
9/12/14 “8. I give, devise, transfer, leave behind (whatever the hell it takes) 90% of my estate to my friend, Lettie Lang, as thanks for her dedicated service and friendship to me during these past few years.” (Grisham 21)
What all did she do to serve 90%? How is she that important? Is this what is going to cause trouble in the book? [Q]
9/12/14 “… Ozzie might be tempted to tell the story of the night he broke Jakes leg.” (Grisham 23)
Ozzie and Jakes friendship goes way back. [I]
9/12/14 “…She’s married to a man named Simeon Lang, pretty much of a deadbeat who comes and goes, on and off the wagon.” (Grisham 24)
Did Lettie and Seth have a fling? [Q]
9/12/14 “’I wonder what those boys saw,’ Jake said. ‘Seth and his brother.’” (Grisham 26)
Whatever happened to Seth and his brother during their childhood will be brought up and maybe cause some trouble [P]. Whatever it was, it was traumatizing [I]. Could that be why he hasn’t seen his brother in years? [Q]
9/12/14 “For the past decade, Seth had cared for nothing but his work.” (Grisham 27)
Seth wasn’t much of a family man, or a social person either. He had no social life. [I]
9/12/14 “The more he worked the more he looked down on his sons’ career and this was a major cause of their tension.” (Grisham 27)
Seth wasn’t happy with the career goal his son set [I]. Why was he proud of his son for having a career? [Q].
9/12/14 “She, too, had been scarred by an unpleasant life with Seth, and was, as they say, off her rocker.” (Grisham 27)
What made life with Seth THAT unpleasant? [Q]
9/12/14 “He crossed the ford county line and his mood grew even darker.” (Grisham 28)
Ford county isn’t a happy place for Herschel [I].
9/15/14 “They never tossed a baseball or a football, never even set up a kids’ soccer goal, or played tackle football.” (Grisham 28)
Herschel and Seth never got the chance to have father and son bonding time [I]
9/15/14 “Herschel felt nothing; no sense of loss, no sadness at the closing of a chapter;…” (Grisham 28)
I can sort of connect because I kind of felt the same way, not exactly but similar, when my mother died. [C]
9/17/14 “Behind them was a row of relatives so distant they had to introduce themselves in the parking lot, and their names were quickly forgotten.” (Grisham 49)
Wow, no one in the whole Hubbard family is close at all. [O]
9/17/14 “It took two to perform even the most mundane legal tasks:…” (Grisham 50)
Mundane- Boring or basic [V]
9/17/14 “Lettie wiped a tear and realized she was probably the only person crying.”(Grisham 51)
Lettie and Seth had a deep connection, she really cared for him. [I]
9/19/14 “One lawyer could have easily performed the menial task,” (Grisham 82)
Menial- (of work) not requiring much skill [V]
9/23/14 “I don’t want to die and I don’t want to give up Jack Daniel’s, so I’m in a constant quandary.” (Grisham 87)
Quandary- A state of doubt [V]
9/25/14 “While sloppy and easily avoidable, his errors were usually minor and harmless and had never risen to the level of outright defamation.” (Grisham 98)
Defamation- The act of defaming another
Defame- To harm the reputation. [V]
9/27/14 “The honorable Reuben V. Atlee was recovering from his third heart attack,” (Grisham 103)
He won’t be the Judge over Seth’s case (?), and if he is he won’t be full term because of heart problems. [P]
9/27/14 “Beyond the bar and scattered across the rows of ancient wooden pews, there was an impressive crowd, its collective curiosity piqued.” (Grisham 104)
Piqued- (n) A transient feeling of wounded vanity: resentment. (vt) To arouse anger or resentment in: irritate. [V]
9/4/14 “A six-foot stepladder had been kicked aside and was lying benignly nearby.” (Grisham 1-2)
Benignly- Of gentle disposition: gracious. [V]
9/4/14 “He wasn’t callous and he wasn’t jaded.” (Grisham 5)
Callous- Being hardened and thickened.
Jaded- Fatigued by overwork: exhausted. [V]
9/18/14 “, but I’m sure it will be contested by his family.” (Grisham ?)
Contested- To call witness. [V]
10/8/14 “An hour later, Jake was still at his desk when the Booker Sistrunk matter took a turn for the worse. ‘There’s a lawyer named Rufus Buckley on the phone,’ Roxy announced through the intercom.” (Grisham 118)
Why is Buckley calling? [Q] They haven’t talked since the Carl Lee Hailey trial three years ago and even then they hated each other [O] I think he somehow weaseled himself into the case for the money and to get back at Jake [P]
10/8/14 “In addition to blowing the $1,000 he’d stolen form Lettie, he realized he’d lost the $120 he’d planned to use for the groceries.” (Grisham 141)
His “good guy” act is blown and Lettie’s going to finally let him go. [O] [P]
10/22/14 “Dennis Yawkey walked in with a cocky smile and began looking for his people…. In 1955, Dennis Yawkey pled guilty in Ford county to one count of conspiracy to commit arson.” (Grisham 150)
He has no remorse. He doesn’t care if he has ruined lives. [S]
10/22/15 “, she poignantly described what is was like being a ten-yea-old girl and learning that her mother…”(Grisham 150)
Poignantly- Affecting or moving the emotions. [V]
10/23/15 “’I have the right to speak, to advocate for my client, and I will not be silenced by some arcane technicality in your rules of procedure.’” (Grisham 168)
Arcane- Known or understood by very few; secret. [V]
Author: John Grisham
Evidence
Response
9/12/14 “… a project that often took fifteen minutes, more silent demerits.” (Grisham 18)
Why would she take the job and not take it seriously? Even if it is just for money, you should still show some responsibility. [Q]
9/12/14 “The return address was ‘Seth Hubbard, P.O. Box 227, Palmyra, Mississippi, 38664’.” (Grisham 18)
Seth sent the letter to Jake before he died and it’s probably asking him to take care of his will. [P]
9/12/14 “I specifically cut out my two adult children, their children, and my two ex-wives.” (Grisham 19)
If there are no more close relatives… who is in will, then? [Q]
9/12/14 “Should he leave the letter, the envelope, and the other sheets of paper exactly where they were, and run fetch Ozzie? Should he call a judge?” (Grisham 20)
He’s going to fulfill the wishes of Seth’s letter/will because that’s the kind of person Jake is. [P]
9/12/14 “8. I give, devise, transfer, leave behind (whatever the hell it takes) 90% of my estate to my friend, Lettie Lang, as thanks for her dedicated service and friendship to me during these past few years.” (Grisham 21)
What all did she do to serve 90%? How is she that important? Is this what is going to cause trouble in the book? [Q]
9/12/14 “… Ozzie might be tempted to tell the story of the night he broke Jakes leg.” (Grisham 23)
Ozzie and Jakes friendship goes way back. [I]
9/12/14 “…She’s married to a man named Simeon Lang, pretty much of a deadbeat who comes and goes, on and off the wagon.” (Grisham 24)
Did Lettie and Seth have a fling? [Q]
9/12/14 “’I wonder what those boys saw,’ Jake said. ‘Seth and his brother.’” (Grisham 26)
Whatever happened to Seth and his brother during their childhood will be brought up and maybe cause some trouble [P]. Whatever it was, it was traumatizing [I]. Could that be why he hasn’t seen his brother in years? [Q]
9/12/14 “For the past decade, Seth had cared for nothing but his work.” (Grisham 27)
Seth wasn’t much of a family man, or a social person either. He had no social life. [I]
9/12/14 “The more he worked the more he looked down on his sons’ career and this was a major cause of their tension.” (Grisham 27)
Seth wasn’t happy with the career goal his son set [I]. Why was he proud of his son for having a career? [Q].
9/12/14 “She, too, had been scarred by an unpleasant life with Seth, and was, as they say, off her rocker.” (Grisham 27)
What made life with Seth THAT unpleasant? [Q]
9/12/14 “He crossed the ford county line and his mood grew even darker.” (Grisham 28)
Ford county isn’t a happy place for Herschel [I].
9/15/14 “They never tossed a baseball or a football, never even set up a kids’ soccer goal, or played tackle football.” (Grisham 28)
Herschel and Seth never got the chance to have father and son bonding time [I]
9/15/14 “Herschel felt nothing; no sense of loss, no sadness at the closing of a chapter;…” (Grisham 28)
I can sort of connect because I kind of felt the same way, not exactly but similar, when my mother died. [C]
9/17/14 “Behind them was a row of relatives so distant they had to introduce themselves in the parking lot, and their names were quickly forgotten.” (Grisham 49)
Wow, no one in the whole Hubbard family is close at all. [O]
9/17/14 “It took two to perform even the most mundane legal tasks:…” (Grisham 50)
Mundane- Boring or basic [V]
9/17/14 “Lettie wiped a tear and realized she was probably the only person crying.”(Grisham 51)
Lettie and Seth had a deep connection, she really cared for him. [I]
9/19/14 “One lawyer could have easily performed the menial task,” (Grisham 82)
Menial- (of work) not requiring much skill [V]
9/23/14 “I don’t want to die and I don’t want to give up Jack Daniel’s, so I’m in a constant quandary.” (Grisham 87)
Quandary- A state of doubt [V]
9/25/14 “While sloppy and easily avoidable, his errors were usually minor and harmless and had never risen to the level of outright defamation.” (Grisham 98)
Defamation- The act of defaming another
Defame- To harm the reputation. [V]
9/27/14 “The honorable Reuben V. Atlee was recovering from his third heart attack,” (Grisham 103)
He won’t be the Judge over Seth’s case (?), and if he is he won’t be full term because of heart problems. [P]
9/27/14 “Beyond the bar and scattered across the rows of ancient wooden pews, there was an impressive crowd, its collective curiosity piqued.” (Grisham 104)
Piqued- (n) A transient feeling of wounded vanity: resentment. (vt) To arouse anger or resentment in: irritate. [V]
9/4/14 “A six-foot stepladder had been kicked aside and was lying benignly nearby.” (Grisham 1-2)
Benignly- Of gentle disposition: gracious. [V]
9/4/14 “He wasn’t callous and he wasn’t jaded.” (Grisham 5)
Callous- Being hardened and thickened.
Jaded- Fatigued by overwork: exhausted. [V]
9/18/14 “, but I’m sure it will be contested by his family.” (Grisham ?)
Contested- To call witness. [V]
10/8/14 “An hour later, Jake was still at his desk when the Booker Sistrunk matter took a turn for the worse. ‘There’s a lawyer named Rufus Buckley on the phone,’ Roxy announced through the intercom.” (Grisham 118)
Why is Buckley calling? [Q] They haven’t talked since the Carl Lee Hailey trial three years ago and even then they hated each other [O] I think he somehow weaseled himself into the case for the money and to get back at Jake [P]
10/8/14 “In addition to blowing the $1,000 he’d stolen form Lettie, he realized he’d lost the $120 he’d planned to use for the groceries.” (Grisham 141)
His “good guy” act is blown and Lettie’s going to finally let him go. [O] [P]
10/22/14 “Dennis Yawkey walked in with a cocky smile and began looking for his people…. In 1955, Dennis Yawkey pled guilty in Ford county to one count of conspiracy to commit arson.” (Grisham 150)
He has no remorse. He doesn’t care if he has ruined lives. [S]
10/22/15 “, she poignantly described what is was like being a ten-yea-old girl and learning that her mother…”(Grisham 150)
Poignantly- Affecting or moving the emotions. [V]
10/23/15 “’I have the right to speak, to advocate for my client, and I will not be silenced by some arcane technicality in your rules of procedure.’” (Grisham 168)
Arcane- Known or understood by very few; secret. [V]