Midnight At The Blackbird Cafe

Explain how the setting of Wicklow, Alabama, displays, as Gideon warns Anna Kate, its way of holding on to people. Include examples that indicate both positive and negative consequences of the hold this setting exerts.

What is the effect of the chapter’s beginning with a short interaction between the reporter and the people of Wicklow? How do these interactions reflect the magical realism and Southern Gothic elements?

Compare and contrast Eden’s and Natalie’s decisions to leave Wicklow in the context of their relationships with their mothers.