No Promises In The Wind

What are some of the many roles that food plays in the novel? How does food affect characters’ moods and behaviors? How does food cause things to happen? Give specific examples.

How do the relationships that Josh develops when he and Joey are out on their own help him come of age and develop as a character? In what specific ways does each relationship change Josh?

The desperate times cause some people to behave in ways that aren’t typical of their characters. What are three examples of people who acted out of character because of the physical and mental problems caused by the economic crisis?

Besides financial losses, some characters in the novel also lose people close to them. How do the personal losses that Josh and Joey, Lonnie, Emily, and Janey experience affect their characters and actions in the story?

How does the author use weather conditions to reflect the mood and situation of the characters? How does the weather imagery at the end of the story contrast with the images in the beginning?

What roles do music and entertainment play in the story? How does music and entertainment affect the characters in the novel? Based on some of the scenes in the story, why do you think people still spend money on entertainment during harsh economic times?

In much of the story, the two main characters are on the road. How does the author use transportation to contrast the main characters’ situation at the end of the novel with their traveling predicament in the beginning?

The clash between Josh and his father is a major plot element. What character traits do Josh and his father share, and in what ways do they differ?