1. The Honk and Holler Opening Soon is set in Sequoyah, a very small town in Oklahoma. Is it realistic to believe that a Vietnam vet, a Native American woman, an African American woman and a Vietnamese man night come together under the strange circumstances in the book? Do you find it believable that outsiders such as Bui or Vena could be fully accepted into this insular community?

2. Which of the characters do you feel you have most in common with? Why?

3. Bui Khan, a recently arrived immigrant, understands little of the language and culture of the United States, yet he is in search of the American Dream. What are his chances of achieving that dream?

4. Caney Paxton stayed inside the Honk from 1973 until 1985. What major changes in this culture took place during his period of isolation? How will those changes affect his life outside the Honk?

5. Is the relationship that develops between Caney and Vena believable? Why or why not?

6. What do you believe is the theme if this book? Do you think the author fully developed that theme?

7. It seems that several story lines are not concluded by the end of the novel. Bui Khan's wife has not arrived; Brenda is "lost" out there in the bigger world; Molly O and Life are going out together, but there's no indication how their relationship will end; and although Vena and Caney are together, they still have problems to work through. Why do you suppose the author left so many issues unresolved? Do you find this frustrating?

8. Vena Takes Horse isn't "good at staying still" at the beginning of the book, but at the end, she returns to the Honk. Do you think she's changed enough that she'll stay? Do you think Brenda will return to her mother?

9. Are the problems between Molly O and Brenda common between mothers and daughters?

10. How do the regulars at the Honk contribute to the story?

11. Although all of the major characters in The Honk and Holler Opening Soon are adults, the role that children play in the novel is enormous. In fact, many of the novel's pivotal moments revolve around children. Yet Caney, Molly O, Brenda, Vena, Helen, and Bui react so differently to the idea of parenthood. Why is that? Is is easier for Caney and Bui to accept the fact that they are going to be fathers than it is for Molly O, Brenda, Vena and Helen to accept that they are going to be mothers? Is the connection between mother and child always stronger than the bond between father and child?