When a family member goes missing or dies, it affects everyone in the family, and Georgie's family in One Came Home has experienced both, from the mystery of what happened to Pa in Colorado to the mystery of what happened to Agatha.
Georgie's journey to find out what happened to Agatha is really an attempt to keep her family together and to heighten her own sense of security. Georgie wants to stay home, near Ma and Grandfather Bolte, and she wants Agatha to want that, too, so much so that she disapproves of Agatha's relationship with Billy until it's over, and then sabotages Agatha's relationship with Mr. Olmstead. Her quest to prove Agatha is alive is part of an ongoing attempt to keep her family together, exactly as it is—and part of her journey is accepting that families change.
Questions About Family
- Which family member is Georgie closest to? Why do you think this is?
- Are there moments when Georgie is willfully blind to what is happening in her family or when she genuinely doesn't understand what's going on with another character?
- Overall, does Georgie feel supported or thwarted by her family in terms of her goals and dreams? What effect has Pa's disappearance had on other members of the family?
Chew on This
Georgie's refusal to accept Agatha's death is a projection of her feelings about her father's disappearance.
Of all her family members, Georgie is closest to Grandfather Bolte.