1. The narrative does not describe Dobry's house in detail, but references to the jamal, the overhanging second story, and the oxen stables downstairs suggest that rural Bulgarian houses in the nineteenth century were very different from most houses in the United States. Describe the typical Bulgarian house of Dobry's time.

2. In relating the activities of Dobry's family, Shannon mentions several saints, rituals, and customs of the Greek Orthodox Church. Investigate some of the differences between the Eastern and Western Christian traditions and observances. Are any of these traditions unique to Bulgaria?

3. While Shannon describes the clothes of outsiders, such as Bekir the gypsy and Kolu the jamal-maker, she says little about the clothing worn by Dobry, his grandfather, and their fellow villagers. What types of clothing did the men, women, and children of nineteenth-century Bulgaria wear?

4. Dobry and his grandfather...