Gentlehands
Chapter 1
1. According to the narrator, what type of girl is Skye Pennington?
2. Who is the narrator of the story?
3. What is Buddy spending his money on?
4. Describe the “sharp” outfit Buddy puts on for his date.
5. What is unusual about the relationship between Mrs. Boyle and her father?
6. Where is Mrs. Boyle from?
7. According to Mrs. Boyle, what does Buddy resemble?
Chapter 2
1. What does Skye say about Buddy’s “neat” outfit?
2. What is the name of the Pennington estate?
3. What appointment does Skye’s mom have that night?
4. Who identifies Buddy as a townie?
5. What does that person do for a living?
6. Where are Skye and Buddy going in the Jensen?
7. Who are they going to go visit?
Chapter 3
1. What kind of dog is Mignon?
2. How does Buddy describe his grandfather’s looks?
3. What is Grandpa Trenker’s house like?
4. Why does Buddy take Skye to his grandfather’s house?
5. Does taking Skye to Grandpa Trenker’s house impress Skye?
Chapter 4
1. What types of articles is the scrapbook filled with that Buddy’s mom is using?
2. Describe Kick.
3. How does Buddy describe Ollie?
4. What name does Kick call Ollie?
5. What changes Buddy’s plan to clam with Ollie and Streaker?
Chapter 5
1. How does Buddy avoid going clamming with Streaker?
2. What book is Mrs. Pennington reading?
3. Why does Mrs. Pennington want Boardwalk and Park Place?
4. What is the Hadefield Club known for?
5. What is the other name people use for the club?
6. Who is waiting for Buddy when he gets home?
Chapter 6
1. What happens between Mr. Boyle and Buddy in the lawn after dinner?
2. What are the two reasons Mr. Boyle is so angry?
3. What is Buddy’s punishment?
Chapter 7
1. Where does Streaker want to go?
2. What does Buddy tell Streaker they will do that night?
Chapter 8
1. According to Buddy, what are Beauregard and Skye like?
2. What gift does Skye give to Buddy?
3. What are the two reasons Mrs. Boyle is upset with Buddy?
4. What new policy at the Hadefield Club makes Skye’s uncle angry?
5. What type of names amuse the partygoers at Beauregard?
6. What is the name of the poem DeLucca recites?
7. What is it about?
8. What does DeLucca reveal about the writer and himself as he leaves?
Chapter 9
1. Why does Skye keep insisting she is not prejudiced?
2. What does Skye say is the most expensive pipe? How much is it?
3. What is the most expensive pipe? How much is it?
4. What does Trenker teach Buddy?
5. Why didn’t Trenker marry Carla?
Chapter 10
1. Why didn’t Trenker stay married to Buddy’s grandmother?
2. Where is Skye going to go to college?
3. Why is Mrs. Boyle so bitter toward Trenker?
4. What does Mr. Boyle suggest Buddy do now?
Chapter 11
1. How do Buddy and his father meet up?
2. Why was Buddy in a bad mood?
3. What is a nepotist?
4. Who does Buddy see observing his grandfather’s house?
5. Who is coming to dinner?
Chapter 12
1. What did Trenker do for a living?
2. What does Trenker say about Communsim?
3. Why does Mignon bark?
4. What type of animal does Trenker free from his trap?
5. How does Ingeborg and Trenker feel about fur coats?
Chapter 13
1. What did they name the baby raccoon? Why?
2. What advice does Trenker give Buddy about Skye?
3. How does Ollie react to Buddy’s decision to call himself Ray?
4. What secret does Skye begin to tell Buddy?
Chapter 14
1. What does Trenker mean by “be on stage, not in the audience?”
2. What does Mr. Pennington think about Skye dating Buddy?
3. What is significant about the opera that Trenker plays for Skye?
4. At the end of the chapter, what does Skye suspect about Trenker?
Chapter 15
1. Why do they have to let Graham go so soon?
2. How long had DeLucca been looking for Trenker?
3. What did Buddy do with the newspapers?
4. Where does Mr. Boyle say Buddy should live now?
Chapter 16
1. What was Mrs. Boyle worried about?
2. What was Og worried about?
3. What was Trenker doing when Buddy arrived?
4. What did Trenker and Buddy spend the evening discussing?
5. What happened to Mignon?
Chapter 17
1. What favor does Trenker ask of Buddy?
2. What does Buddy tell Streaker and Mrs. Schneider?
3. What does Skye think about DeLucca’s accusation?
4. What was Kick’s wife’s reaction to the accusations against Trenker?
5. What does Trenker say in the letter to Buddy?
Chapter 18
1. Who killed Carla?
2. Who is Trenker’s friend, Werner?
3. Where does Buddy believe his grandfather has gone?
4. Where is Streaker and what is he doing?
Chapter 19
1. What kind of party do the Pennington’s have?
2. What led the authorities to Renner?
3. How was the house in Montauk when Buddy arrived?
4. Who was in the house?
5. What did Buddy take with him when he left the house?