The Returning Themes

If we had to pick just one word to sum up The Returning, we'd pick warfare. Why? The entire book exposes the horrors of the aftermath of war, for soldiers and families alike. The characters provide...

The Returning looks at the same story from a bunch of angles: Cam, Pin, Gyaar, Acton, Diido, and Graceful all give their version of events so we're never really sure if how one person sees it is ho...

Uplanders and Downlanders—two groups of complete opposites… or are they? We're led to believe that the two places could not be more different, but as Cam gets to know people in Upland a little...

Since The Returning is set in the wake of a war, military duty is not just a formality—it is a safeguard against massive uprisings from the Downlanders. It's also a way for people to protect thei...

Remember when Pin has a period ceremony? Or how about when Gyaar gives Graceful a mirror as a wedding present? The Returning is all about tradition and principle, but not the kind we have today in...

Blame is something one person does to another, but guilt comes from within—and our main man, Cam, feels plenty guilty in this book. Also guilty? Gyaar. In fact, most of the characters in The Retu...

Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em—that pretty much sums up Cam's wacky relationship with his family. Sure they provide him with a sense of belonging, but at the same time, Cam doesn't a...

Acton, Pin, Graceful, Gyaar, and Cam are all abandoned in different ways throughout the story. Usually abandonment refers to a family member bouncing from the family unit and leaving others behind...