Like peanut butter and jelly or Sonny and Cher, guilt and blame just seem to go together, and that's never more true than when the sister whose engagement you just broke up winds up dead. This whole guilty conscience thing is interesting in One Came Home: Georgie knows she did wrong by telling Mr. Olmstead about Billy and Agatha's kiss, and she even admits it many times… all while trying to find a way to absolve herself.
In the end, though, Billy and Mr. Olmstead both admit that they, too, have a part in Agatha's disappearance—though perhaps not quite as great a part as Agatha herself does.
Questions About Guilt and Blame
- Who would you say is most to blame for Agatha's disappearance?
- Does Georgie seem genuinely remorseful about tattling to Mr. Olmstead? Did she feel that way before Agatha disappeared?
- Should readers see Billy's confession coming? Are there any indications that he feels guilty before he tells us he tricked Georgie?
- Is Agatha to blame for any of this? How would you respond if you received the letter Georgie's family gets at the end?
Chew on This
Billy, Mr. Olmstead, and Grandfather Bolte are as much to blame for Agatha's disappearance as Georgie is.
Georgie deserves Agatha's disappearance after meddling in her sister's business.