Welcome to Hard Times cover

Welcome to Hard Times

by E. L. Doctorow

Doctorow's magnificent first novel follows the story of how the town of Hard Times in the Dakota Territory got its name. An early example of the brilliance of Doctorow, repackaged to match World's Fair and his other bestsellers. Reprint from Bantam.

More by E. L. Doctorow

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?