The Boys from Biloxi

The city of Biloxi is almost an additional character in the novel.  Why do you think Grisham spent so much time exploring the history of Biloxi?  In what ways did it add or detract from the novel for you? 

Grisham contrasts the bright and glamorous surface of Biloxi with the dark and seedy underworld that lurks beneath.  How does this dichotomy affect the characters and the plot of the book? How does it reflect the moral ambiguity and complexity of the law and justice in Biloxi?

How do the characters in the book use or abuse the law for their own purposes? How do they justify their actions in terms of morality or legality? Do you think the law is always fair and just or can it be manipulated and corrupted?

How do you define loyalty and what does it mean to you? How do the characters in the book show loyalty or disloyalty to each other? Do you think loyalty is always a virtue or can it be a vice?

Discuss the role of baseball in the novel.  How did Keith and Hugh’s shared love of the sport impact their relationship?

The relationship between fathers and sons is an important theme in the book.  How did Jess Rudy and Lance Malco shape their sons’ lives and choices?  

What did you think about the trials in the book? How did they show the strengths and weaknesses of the legal system in Biloxi?

Did you believe Hugh when he said that he never meant to kill Jesse, just send him a message?  Why or why not? 

The death penalty looms large in this book and is a controversial topic in America.  Do you believe in the death penalty?  How did this book impact your feelings on the subject, if at all?