Tall Trees Book Club Discussion Questions for Devil in the Grove 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

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My Questions Did you find the book difficult to read? Why do you think this book won the Pulitzer Prize? Do you think this kind of incident could happen here in Lake County today? What is the difference between prejudice and hate? Between hate and fear? Why did the author go into such detail with this story? What if anything did you learn about central Florida history from reading this book? What questions/comments do you have? Which do you think will be better – the book or the movie? Questions From the Publisher interest in the case anymore. What do you think Was there anything that made you think about happened on the night of the alleged rape? Do Thurgood Marshall differently in terms of his role you believe the suspects were strangers to her? in American history based on what you’ve read in Devil in the Grove? 6. The author points to Curtis Howard, the gas station attendant who spots Norma Padgett on The author devotes a large part of this story the side of the road on the morning of the describing the forces of laws and justice in Jim alleged rape. Yet Howard doesn’t mention his Crow South, and he makes a point to describe observation until later that morning. What are Florida as “South of the South.” Does this fit your thoughts about Curtis Howard’s role in this your vision of what Florida was like in the precase? Civil Rights era? 7. Walter Irvin described being shot by both Sheriff The citrus industry plays an important role in this McCall and his deputy, James Yates. Yet story, and with labor such an essential part of despite having evidence that supported Irvin’s production, were you surprised to learn about story rather than McCall’s, the FBI was able to “work or fight” laws that allowed sheriffs like hold onto this evidence for years, and neither Willis McCall the ability to arrest men who McCall nor Yates were ever charged. Discuss weren’t working? Were you aware that “debt the role of the FBI in this case and how it fits slavery” and peonage conditions were still in with your expectations? place, where arrested men would be made to work in the groves to pay bail or fines? 8. Reviewers have commented that Devil in the Grove has the narrative drive of a thriller. Did Willis McCall held a tight reign on Lake County. this book read or feel differently than other In the beginning of the book, he prevents the nonfiction books you’ve read in the past? men of Bay Lake from storming the jail and possibly lynching the Groveland suspects. But 9. In the end, Governor LeRoy Collins commuted clearly, he was also capable of violence against Walter Irvin’s sentence. He’d spend nearly those same men. What do you think Sheriff twenty years in jail after being beaten and shot McCall’s motivations were throughout the story, three times. Four people were killed during this and why do you think he was able to remain case, yet Marshall still saw it as a victory. Why county sheriff for twenty-eight years? do you think that was so?

5. The author makes a point to describe Norma Padgett differently in the two trials of the Groveland Boys. In the first trial, she wears a fancy dress and proudly marches up to the stand to point out her alleged rapists. But by the second trial, she’s described as gaunt, worn down and tired, and doesn’t seem to have much

10. The case of the Groveland Boys was significant because it led to the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund program to invalidate the use of the death penalty for rape. Discuss the ways you think the legal system has changed since then, and how a rape case like this would be both prosecuted and defended today.

Final Thoughts 1. How would you rate this book on a scale of 1 – 5 stars? 2. Would you recommend it to others? 3. Would you still like the author to speak with us if it can be arranged? Why?