Cold Sassy Tree Study Guide
Directions: As you read each chapter, respond to the question in a sentence or two.
Chapter 1:
1. Briefly describe the setting for this story. Where does it take place? What year?
2. What evidence is there that the family both respects and obeys Grandpa Blakeslee?
3. Why do Aunt Loma and Mary Willis object to Grandpa Blakeslee’s decision to marry Love Simpson? How does
he respond to their objections?
4. Briefly describe Grandpa Blakeslee.
Chapter 2:
1. What reasons does Grandpa give his daughters for deciding to marry Love Simpson so quickly after Miss Mattie
Lou’s death?
2. Compare Will’s description and his opinion of Miss Love with the way Aunt Loma and Moma portray her. Why
do you think Will’s description of her is so different?
3. One of the themes of this book is about the prevalence and impact of gossip in a small town. What is the gossip
Moma and Aunt Loma repeat concerning Love Simpson’s past?
4. Aunt Loma implies that Love Simpson and Grandpa had a romantic relationship before he mother’s death. For
what reasons does Will believe that this is unlikely?
Chapter 3
1. Will has been hoping that Grandpa will move in with them. Why does his mother dread that possibility?
2. Why is mourning for his Granny difficult for Will?
3. Mama is worried that Miss Love is trying to steal her inheritance. For what reason(s) does Will believe his mother
is mistaken?
4. Why did Aunt Loma marry Uncle Camp?
5. In Cold Sassy at the turn of the twentieth century, what is an acceptable job for a woman?
Chapter 4
1. Why do Mama and Papa permit Grandpa to keep his moonshine in the closet of their company room?
2. For what reasons does Will want to be like his Grandpa?
3. Briefly describe Uncle Camp. What is his job at the store?
4. For what reasons does Aunt Loma dislike Love Simpson even before she becomes engaged to Grandpa?
Chapter 5
1. In what sense does Will believe his Granny was a refined woman?
2. Who is Queenie? Why does she sing Nigerian songs?
3. In your opinion, is the following passage an example of sarcasm? You have to understand that Dr. Slaughter was
a fine physician. He had not only read medicine for six months under a doctor over in Athens, he’d gone two whole
years to medical school up North. So if he thought Granny was dying, I never doubted it was going to happen. (Pg.
31)
Chapter 6
1. What evidence is there in this story that African Americans living in Cold Sassy at the turn of the twentieth
century are generally poor?
2. Grandpa prays for Granny to recover: “Lord, I’m tempted to ast You to make Miss Mattie Lou well, like You
was one a-them Atlanta doctors, or maybe Santy Claus and her a Christmas present You could give me if’n You jest
would. I know Thou don’t mind me hopin’ she’ll git well, Lord, or wishin’, but hep me not to beg You to spare
her….Oh God, You know my sin!” (Pg. 35) What “sin” do you think Grandpa is referring to in the above prayer?
3. One of the themes of this novel is that death is a natural part of existence. It is clear to Will that Grandpa loved
Miss Mattie Lou. The reader also knows that three weeks after her death, Grandpa decides to marry Love Simpson.
What conclusion can you make about Grandpa’s views concerning death based on his actions in this story? How
does your opinion fit with this theme?
Cold Sassy Tree Study Guide
Chapter 7
1. Find an example of folklore (The traditional beliefs, practices, customs, stories, jokes, songs (etc.) of a people,
handed down orally or behaviorally from individual to individual) in this chapter. How would you characterize
your example: as a tradition, a belief, or a custom?
Chapter 8
1. Why does Granny believe a person should have a nice funeral? How does Grandpa feel about funerals?
2. In this story, Grandpa often wisely answers Will’s questions about life with a general statement that can apply
to humanity at large. Find two quotations in this chapter that are generalizations about life.
3. What does Grandpa do for Granny’s funeral that proves to Will that Grandpa loves Granny?
Chapter 9
1. In what way is Grandpa cruel to Uncle Camp? How does Will feel about Uncle Camp and about Grandpa after the
incident?
2. Why is the town called Cold Sassy?
3. Who is Aunt Carrie? What does she do to Mary Toy before the funeral?
4. For what reasons does Will miss his grandmother?
5. Why does Will believe that “to mourn is not the same as to be in mourning”? (Pg. 55)
6. How did Grandpa get the money to start his store?
7. Granny told many interesting stories about people dying. Will appreciates these stories and thinks, “she’d of hated
dying so plain.” (Pg. 57) In what way is Granny’s death saved from being “so plain”?
Chapter 10
1. How did Grandpa lose half of his left arm?
2. In what ways do the people of Cold Sassy show that they have not gotten over the Civil War?
Chapter 11
1. Why does Will like Lightfoot McLendon? How does he feel about other “mill children”?
2. For what reason(s) does Will want to avoid seeing Hosie Roach?
3. Why does Will wish his father knew “what it felt like to need to go fishing”? (Pg. 74)
4. For what reason does Will decide to walk on the train trestle?
Chapter 13
1. Why does the train engineer give Will a big bear hug?
2. Who is Loomis? Why does Will love him?
3. Why is Lightfoot worried about her berry bucket? For what reasons is Will planning to break his promise to come
back to Mill Town the next day to help her find her bucket?
Chapter 14
1. How does Will’s father react when he learns of Will’s near-death experience with the train?
2. In this story, Burns often uses satire to poke fun at organized religion. Find an example of this kind of satire in the
chapter.
Chapter 15
1. Burns includes many examples of folklore from this era. In this chapter, she relates many hit-by-the-train
stories. Briefly summarize your favorite hit-by-the-train story.
Chapter 16
1. After Will is nearly killed by the train, Grandpa stops by Will’s house to see him. In what ways does Grandpa
help Will feel better?
2. Will wonders if he is alive because it is God’s will. How does Grandpa answer Will’s question?
3. Find an example in this chapter of Grandpa’s wisdom and thoughts about religion and God.
4. The last sentence in this chapter is “Grandpa was equal to anything.” (Pg. 101) Why does Will feel this way
about his grandfather?
Chapter 17
1. Why does Will dislike Aunt Loma?
Cold Sassy Tree Study Guide
Chapter 18
1. What does the new Mrs. Blakeslee do that Will believes will make his mother angry?
2. What evidence is there that Love finds joy in life even in difficult circumstances?
3. Love persuades Grandpa to shave off his beard and get a short haircut. What does this incident reveal to the reader
about their relationship?
Chapter 19
1. How does Will feel about the possibility that Love and Grandpa may one day have a son?
2. Which household furnishings does Love send home with Will?
Chapter 20
1. What interesting information does Love reveal to Will about her reasons for marrying Grandpa?
2. Why does Grandpa dislike going to church?
3. Why does Love accept Grandpa’s proposal?
Chapter 21
1. Relate two incidents from this chapter that support or illustrate the harmful effects of gossip on Love.
2. Will sees Grandpa walk into the house. He thinks Grandpa might “bust Mr. McAllister’s head wide open!” (Pg.
142) For what reasons do you agree or disagree with Will’s assumption?
Chapter 22
1. For what reasons does Will have trouble believing in predestination?
2. In what sense is Will’s discussion of predestination an example of satire poking fun at organized religion?
3. Why do you suppose Grandpa is charming and hospitable to Mr. McAllister?
4. For what reason(s) do you think Grandpa offers to annul his marriage if Love wants to marry Mr. McAllister?
Chapter 23
1. Why does Grandpa suggest accepting a racehorse from Cudn Jake? In what way does Grandpa’s decision to get a
horse also please Will?
Chapter 24
1. How does Papa explain to Will why Mama is being hard on Miss Love?
2. Why does Miss Love kiss Will on the cheek?
3. How do the Methodists treat Miss Love when she attends Sunday services after her marriage to Grandpa?
Chapter 25
1. How does Papa explain to Will why Grandpa Tweedy seems to be neglecting the farm?
2. What are Will’s plans for his future?
3. Why does Grandpa Tweedy think he might need the covered wagon?
Chapter 26
1. Why does Will think about Bluford Jackson while he is camping with Lee Roy, Smiley, and Pink?
2. How does Grandpa explain Will’s dream about Bluford?
3. Why do the boys cut the camping trip short?
4. For what reasons does Will make up the stories about Aunt Loma nursing a pig and wearing rubber busts?
Chapter 27
1. How does Grandpa feel about the stories about Aunt Loma that Will tells the boys on the camping trip?
2. How does Grandpa describe the miracle of the story of Jesus?
3. What is Grandpa’s definition of faith?
Chapter 28
1. For what reasons does Miss Love tell everyone that she and Grandpa are married in name only?
Chapter 29
1. Olive Burns’ writing style includes many picturesque metaphors. Find an example of an interesting metaphor in
this chapter.
2. Will says that Miss Love “declared war on the family.” What does she do that Will and the others consider to be
an act of war?
Cold Sassy Tree Study Guide
Chapter 30
1. One of the themes in this story is the injustice of racism in the South at the turn of the twentieth century. What
evidence is there in this chapter that Will knows Queenie and the other African-Americans experience racism but is
unwilling to admit it even to himself?
2. Will says, “Gosh, Miss Love sure knew how to make a boy feel like a man.” (Pg. 209) What does Miss Love do
that makes Will feel this way?
3. Find an example of foreshadowing in this chapter.
Chapter 31
1. In what way(s) does Aunt Loma surprise Will?
2. How does Will feel when Aunt Loma insists he should be a writer when he grows up?
Chapter 32
1. Who is responsible for Mama losing her trip to New York City?
Chapter 33
1. How does the town react when Grandpa asks Loomis to preach at his house on Sunday? Based on what you
know about Loomis’ personality and what you know about Grandpa, why do you think Grandpa wants Loomis
to preach?
2. 2. Why does Papa buy the motorcar and order Queenie to prepare extra chicken for dinner?
Chapter 34
1. Cite incidents from this chapter to illustrate how Will feels about Mama, Papa, and his sister.
Chapter 35
1. Why does Papa believe that Miss Love’s “postcard salesmanship” is “a stroke of genius”? (Pg. 238)
2. What evidence is there in this chapter that Will understands and sympathizes with the poverty the mill children
must endure?
3. At the end of this chapter, Will writes about hearing the voice of God telling him he should be ashamed for
kissing a mill girl. The voice is really Miss Alice Ann.
Just then God spoke out loud in the voice of Miss Alice Ann. “Will Tweedy, you ought to be ashamed!” said God. I
looked up and there He stood in a pink and white poky-dot dress, pointing His plump forefinger at us. (Pg. 246)
What does Will’s use of God’s name in place of Miss Alice Ann’s name reveal to the reader about the seriousness of
Will and Lightfoot’s kiss?
Chapter 36
1. What evidence is there in this chapter that Will is growing up?
2. What is Will’s punishment for kissing a mill girl?
3. Mama and Papa invite Grandpa and Miss Love to dinner the night they return from New York. What evidence is
there that, despite the dinner invitation, Mama does not consider Miss Love a member of the family?
Chapter 37
1. For what reason does Grandpa buy an automobile? Why does he keep the purchase a secret?
2. How does Will feel about Grandpa’s plans for him in the parade?
Chapter 38
1. What evidence does Will have that Grandpa and Miss Love are becoming closer? How does he feel about that
possibility?
Chapter 39
1. For what reasons does Love Simpson decide not to ride in Grandpa’s car from the loading platform to the store?
Chapter 40
1. How does Will feel when he sees Grandpa and Love kissing?
Chapter 41
1. What secrets about his life with Grandma does Grandpa confess to Miss Love?
Cold Sassy Tree Study Guide
2. Grandpa tells Miss Love he proposed marriage to her because he needed a housekeeper. What are his real reasons
for marrying her so soon after Grandma’s death?
3. Why does Miss Love believe a life as a loving wife is closed to her forever? How does Grandpa react when he
learns of her past?
Chapter 42
1. In this story, Will often includes Grandpa’s wise statements or generalizations about life. Find an example of a
generalization about life explaining why Grandpa stays home sick.
2. Describe the practical joke Will and his friends play on Loma. How does she behave when Will apologizes for
ruining her play?
3. How do both Grandpa and Loma make Camp’s life miserable?
Chapter 43
1. In what way does Will demonstrate in this chapter that he is growing up?
2. What steps does Uncle Camp take before his death to try to please Loma?
Chapter 44
1. How do the people of Cold Sassy usually feel about a person who commits suicide?
2. For what reasons does Grandpa arrange for Camp to have a regular Baptist funeral service?
Chapter 45
1. Why is Love Simpson named “Love”?
2. For what reasons does Will resent Hosie after Grandpa offers him a job in the store?
Chapter 46
1. Why does Lightfoot give Will her lucky buckeye?
Chapter 48
1. Compare the following scenes from this chapter: Grandpa and Miss Love discussing how he feels when he tries
to go to sleep in the dark and feels God’s presence. Miss Mattie Lou seeing angels on the bedroom wall. Based on
this comparison, what does the scene from this chapter foreshadow?
2. What, according to Grandpa, does Jesus mean when he says “Ast and ye shall receive”? (Pg. 362)
3. Why does Will conclude that Grandpa and Miss Love will probably live happily ever after?
Chapter 49
1. Love knows that Grandpa is dying. He is delirious from the high fever and is not fully conscious. She wants to tell
him that she is expecting a baby. Love hopes that knowing about the child will help Grandpa to fight for his life. She
is crying because he is not well enough to hear the news. What advice does Will give to her concerning this
problem?
2. Cite a passage from the story to support the following statement: Grandpa keeps his sense of humor even though
he is gravely ill.
3. How do the robbers outsmart Grandpa?
Chapter 50
1. Grandpa wanted Miss Mattie Lou’s funeral to say “thank-you to her for living.” He wanted Uncle Camp’s funeral
to say, “Judge not that ye be not judged.” What does Grandpa want his funeral to say?
2. What evidence is there that Grandpa respects Loomis more than he does other preachers? Why do you think this
is?
3. In what way(s) is Grandpa’s funeral mocking or satirizing funerals in general?
4. In what way do both Miss Love and Grandpa get what they most want in life?
5. At the end of the book, the town changes its name from Cold Sassy. What does it change to? What is the
significance of the change?