Study Questions
1. Who tells Lipsha who his parents are? Why?

2. Lipsha chooses to enlist. Why then does he run from the army police?

3. Why does Lipsha have such a good chance of being able to meet Gerry?

4. What do Howard and Lipsha have in common?

5. How do King, Lynette and Lipsha learn that Gerry is free?

6. How has King infuriated Gerry?

7. Why doesn’t King want to bet the red car? Why does Lipsha want to win?

8. How does Lipsha change the odds of the card game?

9. Where does Gerry go when the police knock?

10. If Lipsha is fleeing the army police, why doesn’t he cross the border with Gerry?

Answers
1. Lulu tells Lipsha that his mother is June and his father is Gerry. She tells him because he already disliked her, so she had nothing to lose by it. Furthermore, because Gerry is her son, Lipsha is her grandson, and if he believes her, she might gain a grandson.

2. Lipsha quickly realizes that there is very little future in being a soldier: either he will die, or he will end up crippled and in a veteran’s home as an alcoholic.

3. Gerry is being transferred to a low-security prison and is an escape artist. It is likely that he will be free and traveling soon.

4. King belittles and torments Howard in a similar fashion to how he treated Lipsha when they were young.

5. They watch a news broadcaster announcing the escape.

6. King listened to and then ratted out Gerry’s escape plan from prison. Gerry had trusted family instinctively and is maddened by the betrayal.

7. The car was bought with the insurance money from June’s death and symbolizes June to both of them. Also, it is a nice car. King has not treated it well, and Lipsha may want to save it from King’s careless treatment.

8. Lipsha cheats by marking (crimping) the cards.

9. Gerry disappears and hides in the trunk of June’s car.

10. Lipsha does not need to flee the military police because he has inherited Gerry’s bad heart. Also, he wants to drive June’s car home to Grandma Kapshaw and perhaps make up for leaving her without any word.