The Cold Dish

Through research, identify several unique historical or cultural qualities associated with the Cheyenne tribe. Based on your research, how accurate is the novel’s depiction of Cheyenne culture? Do the accuracies or inaccuracies reflect on the book’s themes?

Identify one or more allusions Walt makes to an outside work. Describe their role in the text—characterization, symbolism, deepening themes—using evidence from the source.

In the novel’s closing chapters, Walt and Henry question George Esper’s presence of mind as he makes a series of questionable decisions. What rationale, if any, could explain George’s actions, and how does his behavior illuminate one or more of the novel’s major themes?

Research restorative justice, an alternative philosophy about justice that prioritizes healing and forgiveness over punishment. How does Melissa’s healing journey reflect these principles? What would a restorative justice process look like for the perpetrators?

Read later volumes in the Longmire series or research their plots. Are any major developments foreshadowed in this book? How does Johnson create a consistent world and characters across 20 volumes?

Identify one character other than Walt who seems to be grieving for one reason or another, then compare and contrast their grieving process with Walt’s. Which character seems to handle their grief more productively? How so?

Choose another contemporary Western novel such as Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian or Stephen King’s The Gunslinger. What elements do they share with The Cold Dish, and how does each author blend other genres to create a unique world?

Consider Walt and Lucian as foil characters. How do their approaches to solving problems differ, and how do they overlap?