What's a Western without some good old-fashioned violence, right? Answer: Probably not a Western. In One Came Home, we start out with a violent death that leads Georgie out on the trail, where she encounters violence from nature, herself, and other characters. Georgie's search for her sister leads Billy and her into a shootout with counterfeiters, in which Georgie earns quite a reputation as a thirteen-year-old hoyden/devil/sharpshooter.
This book has the kind of violence, though, in which the good guys (and girls) always pull through: Georgie's sister turns out to be alive, and against all odds, Georgie wins her fight with the counterfeiters. Phew.
Questions About Violence
- How is the violence in One Came Home similar to or different from the violence in other Westerns you've encountered?
- Why does everyone assume Georgie has been beaten, when in fact she fell on her face in a fit of grief for Agatha? She is telling the truth about falling, so why do people think she's lying?
- What is the relationship between accidental and intentional violence in One Came Home? What is the relationship between violence amongst humans and nature and violence solely between humans?
Chew on This
Georgie's violent encounter with the counterfeiters, in which she faces her own mortality, finally leads her to accept Agatha's death.
In One Came Home, many intentional acts of violence begin with chance encounters.