Ursa says she keeps “tying” the Melrose woman who committed suicide and her childhood friend, May Alice, together (145). What parallels exist between these two women that might cause Ursa to make this connection?

At one point, Ursa speculates on how Cat got the teen neighbor girl, Jeffey, “to mind” (39). Based on the contextual clues in the novel, how does Cat accomplish this feat?

Ursa’s mom tells Ursa, “Mama and Gram. I knew they hated me. Cause you come out all baldheaded” (116). Why does this feature make them hate Ursa’s mom?