Jellicoe Road is largely about Taylor's search for family—not just in the sense of looking for her lost mother, but wondering what it would be like to belong to one. And she has a lot of reasons to ask questions: Hannah seems totally committed to her despite the fact that she tends to keep her distance and never acknowledges connections between them that clearly exist. Not only that, but Taylor finds herself observing her friends who have both parents and feeling anger and jealousy about not having this herself. As a result, Taylor finds herself searching for not only her mother, but what it means to have people love and care for her as well.
Questions About Family
- Hannah won't abandon Taylor, but also seems pretty aloof from her. What about her character makes her this way?
- How does the absence of a family affect the way Taylor interacts with and thinks about other people?
- How does knowing the truth about her family change the way Taylor feels about characters like Hannah, Jude, and the Hermit?
- Check this out: If the car crash in the 80s hadn't happened, we not only wouldn't have a story, but Taylor wouldn't be alive. What statement does this book make about how tragedy connects people and helps them to heal?
Chew on This
While Hannah is loyal to Tate by staying emotionally distant from Taylor, she ultimately makes Taylor ask more questions about her family.
While the car accident set a course of events in motion that negatively altered the lives of Webb, Fitz, and Tate, it ultimately resulted in good.