Module 3: Where Things Come Back

Book Summary

Lily, Arkansas is like thousands of other small towns all over the country - not much happens there and kids just want to leave as soon as they get out of high school. But the town and our hero, Cullen Witter, are suddenly visited by fame and tragedy. A species of woodpecker long believed to be extinct is spotted in the town and brings a flurry of national attention. At the same time, Cullen's cousin dies from drug abuse and his younger brother disappears. Separately, a story of two college roommates across the country is told. For most of the book, the inhabitants of Lily try to cope with the breakdown of their lives while at the same time one college roommate copes with the suicide of the other. Slowly the connection of the two stories is revealed and Cullen's younger brother returns home.

APA Reference of Book

Whaley, J.C. (2011). Where things come back. New York, NY: Atheneum Books

Impressions

This story is told at the pace of a drawling southern accent. Some of the language used could be found offensive, but it is necessary to portray the lives in a small town with limited expectations. The character of Cullen, the narrator of the story, is well drawn with accurate dialog and thoughts for someone of his age as he over-thinks and imagines scenario after scenario to understand the disappearance of his brother. In general, characters are well drawn and faceted. As the plot weaves characters in and out of each other's lives, trails emerge that eventually lead to the solution of the little brother's disappearance, but it doesn't feel natural or believable. The end may feel contrived, but the philosophy of the acceptance of life shared throughout the book is the book's redemption.

Professional Review

Cullen Witter, 17, lives in dull, dreary He is desperate to escape his small town but is fearful that, like so many others, he’ll never do so. His world is turned upside down by a flurry of activity and interest that the sighting of a supposedly extinct Lazarus woodpecker brings to his town, by the devastating and unexplained disappearance of his 15-year-old brother, and the death of his drug-addicted cousin.  Simultaneously, Benton Sage, a young missionary, jumps to his death while searching for the meaning of his life. The lives of Cullen and his roommate, Cabot Searcy, collide and meld into one well-crafted narrative; however, it will take patience on the part of readers to find out how the stories and characters are connected. The powerful plot elements allow readers to have empathy for the Witter family and understand their painful ordeal. The characters’ reactions are palpable as their grief deepens and yet they continue to hope for Gabriel’s return.Cullen is an eloquent, thoughtful narrator, and, solemn as it is, the book is not without humor. The pacing is deliberate, but the ending is worth the wait, making a promising statement about faith and taking one day at a time: “We don’t have to be anxious about everything. We can just be. We can anticipate that the day will probably have some good moments and a few bad ones, and then we deal with it.” 

Alexander, K. (2011, July). Where things come back. [Review of the book Where 
       things come back, by J.C. Whaley.] School Library Journal, 57(7), 110. Retrieved from www.slj.com

Library Uses

This somewhat edgy book should be used in a book talk with other realistic fiction titles to get both male and female students interested in reading more fiction with messages. Use book trailers to begin a discussion of each book. Next, give the students a handout of resources with which they could make their own trailers and show them links to a subject guide on making book trailers on the school's web page.  After discussing several titles along with their themes and messages, students would choose which book to read. When the class returned to the library, there would be a showing of the trailers. Some of the trailers could be posted on the school's web page.