3982 Glenn Springs Road,

GLENN SPRINGS, SOUTH CAROLINA

September 29, 1865

Dear Millie, Dr. Gordon knew my father when they were students at South Carolina College. He did not realize whose daughter I was when he performed the examination of my baby's remains; that is how I am assured of his objectivity, a rare attribute in local people of my acquaintance. While the extent of decomposition prevented a conclusive cause of death, the doctor reports that the child did not suffer trauma, and while drowning or suffocation cannot be entirely ruled out, he concludes that he most likely died of exposure. It was not the doctor's opinion that I exposed the baby intentionally — that accusation comes from the magistrate. The doctor asked to speak to me, however, after examining the remains, and that is when we discovered our connection. I learned what an empathetic man he is (also rare). When Dr. Gordon's son was fighting at Second Manassas, his young wife, unbeknownst to her ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers!

1. Why is the story told in documents — letters, inquest reports, and diary entries — rather than a continuous narrative from one point of view? What do you think the writer intended to achieve by using this approach to the story? How does it affect a reader's relationship to the story?
2. Placidia agrees to marry Major Gryffth Hockaday after knowing him for less than a day — a short engagement, even by war - time standards. What do you think motivates her to accept his proposal and exchange the security of her home for an unknown adventure with this man? What does she mean when she says to her cousin Mildred, and, later, to her children, that "life is all about the leaps" (pages 12 and 214)?
3. Discuss the role played in the ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers!

Here are some of the comments posted about The Second Mrs. Hockaday.
You can see the full discussion here.


Consider Placidia's relationships with other women in the novel. Who does she have conflict with? Who does she bond with? Why?
I think she was wise in knowing who she could trust and who she couldn't. Race wasn't the issue—the women she didn't trust were hateful and not just to her. - jamiek

Discuss Achilles' decision to read his mother's diary. Would you have done the same?
I would have even if I was warned not too. Unfortunately, I am not one to hold on to something and not look at it. Don't trust me with Pandora's Box... - andreab

Do you feel sympathy toward Major Hockaday's behavior when he returns from the war?
Yes, I felt sympathy for him. Thoughts of his wife got him through the war. But he eventfully came home to a wife that he felt betrayed her. He was only human so what was he to think especially when his wife would not explain herself. Love doesn't ... - bettyt

Do you think Abner and Nerissa have a future together?
I like to think so. There weren't a whole lot of happy endings at that time, so I like to think that they should have made a future together. - jeannew

How did reading The Second Mrs Hocking add to or change your understanding of the events of the Civil War?
I never thought about the women left behind that much except for my reading of Gone with the Wind. This book made me more aware of the struggles of these women. I imagine it was difficult for the women in the North too but they may have faced other ... - dorothyl