A Study Guide for A Land Remembered

by Patrick Smith

Chapter 1:

  1. What year, city and state does this chapter begin?
  2. Miami, Florida 1968
  3. Who is Julia Tuttle and why is there a causeway named after her?
  4. A woman at FortDallas that sent Flager oranges that lived through the freeze
  5. What do you learn about Toby and Sol’s relationship? What does this foreshadow?
  6. They are half brothers (same father) , this foreshadows their father Zech committing adultry
  7. Who is Arthur? What does Sol give him?
  8. Sol’s driver; He gave him the Rolls Royce and a trust fund to take care of him for the rest of his life.
  9. How old is Sol MacIvey in this chapter?
  10. 85

Chapters 2-5

  1. What is the date and state this chapter takes place in?
  2. 1863 La Florida
  3. What was different about the two men that came to Tobias? What were their names?
  4. They were Seminole Indians – Keith Tiger and Bird Jumper
  5. What were these men running from? Where were they from and where were they headed?
  6. Dogs and men were chasing them – Walking from Oklahoma to Pay-Hay-Okee swamp
  7. What did Tobias do for them?
  8. Stood up to the men, killed one of their dogs, and protected the indians
  9. What important news did Silas give Tobias?
  10. How badly the war was going, the South was losing
  11. What did Tobias ask for before he left?
  12. For gun powder and lead shot

Chapters 6-11

  1. Who was Henry Adler and what gave him power over Tobias MacIvey?
  2. A state marshal commissioned by the governor
  3. What were the two greatest dangers to the men on the cattle drive?
  4. Wolves and Reb deserters
  5. While Tobias was away what attacked his homestead?
  6. Bears
  7. Describe how Zech ended the danger.
  8. Zech go the shotgun but could not lift it. He picked up a piece of firewood, sat on the ground, propped the long barrel on top of the wood and pulled the trigger
  9. What was the name of the place Tobias was to help fortify?
  10. Olustee, 3 miles south of Lake city
  11. What did Tobias practice branding when he did not have cows to brand?
  12. On every log on the side of the house
  13. What did the Indians give Tobias and Zech? What did Zech name them?
  14. A marschtackie horse named and two dogs named Nip and Tuck
  15. Who do Zech and Tobias find hiding in the bushes? Describe him and his background.
  16. A black slave who after the war had claimed a piece of land and built a cabin and the KKK whipped him, trampled is garden and burned his cabin. He has been adrift ever since

Chapters 12-17

  1. Why did they let the 148 cows with MCI branded on them out of the pen?
  2. To let them graze to fatten up for the cattle drive
  3. Why did they travel south instead of north with the wagon?
  4. To follow the herd while they ate
  5. How does Tobias feel about the land and who owns it?
  6. No one owns the land and no one will fence it. “The Lord put it here for everyone to use.”
  7. Where is the best place to trade cows? How much does one cow approximately sell for?
  8. Punta Rassa, $4.00 a head
  9. What are the names of the men he hired? What did he buy for them before they left? What does he agree to pay them?
  10. Frog and Bonzo – a package of cheese – 50 cents a day plus keep
  11. Who did the drovers refuse to sleep with and why?
  12. Skillet because he was black
  13. Who did Tobias meet in the swamp and what were his instructions?
  14. An old, old Indian name Timucan who said to not bring the cows in the swamp there was only death in the swamp – Turn BACK
  15. Describe what happened at the restaurant in Punta Rassa.
  16. Restaurant does not serve blacks so Tobias went and got a pistol and demanded that they serve Skillit and they got their way
  17. Explain how the horse race came about. Why does Tobias insist that the race be three miles long? What was the prize?
  18. Race horsed do not run fast for very long unlike Isamael so Tobias won the race and land in Punta Rassa

Chapters 18-24

  1. In what way did the money the MacIvey’s made on the cattle drive change their lifestyle?
  2. They ate better but nothing else changed
  3. What was Skillit’s chore?
  4. To find a wife
  5. Describe in detail the mosquito incident.
  6. Pg 184-186
  7. Describe happened to the Indian boys and why.
  8. The cows were stolen from them and they were hung because they were Indians and the men assumed that they had stolen the cows
  9. Describe the forest that Tobias and Zech go through.
  10. Pg 201-202
  11. Who is the special person that Zech meets? Describe her and her background.
  12. Twanda pg 210
  13. What special place do Twanda and Zech visit? Describe it.
  14. Pay-Hay-Okee (river of grass) pg 212
  15. What does Tobias warn Zech about Twanda?
  16. Not to leave and leave a seed in her belly
  17. What was Zech’s dilemma? Who does he discuss it with? And what advice did he receive?
  18. He is in love with 2 women – Glenda and Twanda – He discusses it with Emma. The advice: He must love who he chooses and to choose wisely but do not hurt one for the other
  19. What did Zech find in Kissimmee that had previously belonged to his father? What does he do about it?
  20. His shotgun with MCI on it. He took it back and found out who stole it pg 236-237
  21. Where did Glenda’s father send them for their honeymoon?
  22. Ft.Pierce to Jacksonville on a schooner

Chapters 25-29

  1. What secret does Glenda share with Emma?
  2. She is pregnant
  3. What does Glenda want to do very badly and why?
  4. Go on the cattle drive with everyone to prove to Zech that she can do it.
  5. What three things happened to Glenda on this trip, things that did not bother anyone else?
  6. Sun burn / stepped on a covey of quail when she was trying to potty / a rattle snake in her bedroll
  7. What happened at the salt marsh?
  8. 4 armed riders turned the herd away / said they could not come in and were willing to fight about it / Emma said no fighting
  9. Why does Tobias decide not to fight?
  10. Emma warned him not to unless he could pick which one of their group could be killed
  11. What is Zech going to build in Punta Rassa and why?
  12. A cabin to stay in when they come to Punta Rassa
  13. What happened to Glenda as a result of the incident near Kissimmee?
  14. She had a miscarriage
  15. Who did Zech blame for what happened to Glenda and what did he do about it?
  16. The bushwhackers / he rode one of them around dragging him by a rope and then hung him
  17. Who found Zech and went with him into the forest?
  18. Twanda
  19. How did Zech justify what he had done?
  20. He was even with Glenda for not telling him of the baby
  21. Why did they name him Soloman?
  22. Biblical meaning is wisdom and he would be first son educated MacIvey
  23. Why did Emma and Pearlie Mae refuse to go to move the herd for grazing?
  24. They wanted to stay with Glenda and Sol
  25. What does Zech decide he must do with the gold doubloons?
  26. Buys more land
  27. Why did Zech feel he was in two different worlds?
  28. A cattleman’s world (old way of life) vs. a landlord (civilization)
  29. Why did Skillit have to choose a last name? What did he choose?
  30. To purchase land. He choose MacIvey because he loves them and is proud to have their name
  31. Did Frog change his feelings about Skillit from their first meeting until now?
  32. Yes, he loved and respected him

Chapters 30-39

  1. What did Zech think would be the cause of many explosions?
  2. Wilderness shrinking and pushing more and more men together
  3. What peaceful ritual did Zech see many years ago?
  4. Ritual of animals peacefully sharing the life-giving water
  5. How many acres of land did Zech buy and in whose names did he put the deed?
  6. 60,000 acres in his name, Glenda’s and Sol’s
  7. What did Zech discover when he went to the Indian village?
  8. That he had a son with Tawanda
  9. What two gifts did Zech give Toby?
  10. A Winchester rifle and a hunting knife
  11. What did Toby teach Zech to do?
  12. To fish with a spear
  13. What is the first thing Zech said to Glenda as they met?
  14. That he loved her
  15. Why did Emma go into the woods?
  16. To pick huckleberries for pies
  17. What happened to Emma? What were her last words?
  18. She died of a heart attack / “Tobias . . .I’m sorry”
  19. How did Tawanda die? Describe how Zech felt about her death and what did he vow to himself?
  20. She died giving birth to another of Zech’s babies . He vowed he would see Toby again
  21. What did the Indians leave at Tobias’ grave?
  22. A pouch of deer hide; a carved wooden spear; alligator hide piece ; and an egret feather
  23. Describe what Sol did in Palm Beach to raise money.
  24. Sold baby buzzards and made $600.00 pg 343-344
  25. What did Sol do with his money?
  26. Bought land 1,200 acres
  27. Describe what happened with the Brahma bull.
  28. Killed Glenda pg 374

Chapters 40-45

  1. What kind of company did Sol form? What did he name it?
  2. A produce company / MacIvey Produce Company
  3. Who did Sol meet on his way to see Toby?
  4. Toby’s wife – Minnie Cypress
  5. How did Sol meet Bonnie?
  6. She was a waitress at a diner
  7. Describe what kind of deal Bonnie and Sol make.
  8. $100.00 a month to cook, clean (housekeeper) pg 400-401
  9. What did Sol find in Kissimmee that made him so angry?
  10. Donovan cleared the houses in the hammock and put in orange trees
  11. Why does he not go through with it what he wants to do to Donovan and why does he go to Kissimmee?
  12. Killing him would not bring back what he had done / to get someone to help do the books and help him run the place
  13. What did Sol and Bonnie do with all of their money?
  14. Put it in their Miami vault
  15. What is the name of the railroad that ran from Miami to Key West?
  16. Flagler’s railroad
  17. Why was there a sudden boom in real estate and construction?
  18. After war, Florida was advertised as a tropical paradise in the north
  19. Where did Bonnie and Sol go when their home flooded? What happened to Bonnie by the end of the hurricane?
  20. Through and on the roof. Bonnie died along with 2,000 others pg 422
  21. Who was the true MacIvey that ‘conquered the wilderness’?
  22. Tobias MacIvey/ Emma / Skillit / Zech and Glenda/ Frog and Bonzo