The Great Wherever

There is a long tradition of using ghost stories to explore William Faulkner’s famous dictum: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” How does The Great Wherever fit into this tradition? How does it complicate it?

Do you believe in ghosts? Does your family?

What stories does your family tell about itself? Do different members have different versions of these tales? What varies most—details, things done, things said, feelings?

Many of the characters in the novel face various challenges related to love and romantic relationships. How do their struggles parallel each other and diverge?

Relatedly, several of the women in the novel have to make choices involving pregnancy. How do the very different contexts in which each exists (from their social milieus to the year they live in) affect their choice?

Do you agree with how Thomas divided the land for inheritance? Is there anything he could have done differently to mitigate the ensuing strife?

From Aubrey’s mushrooms to Janis’s barbecue restaurant, food plays many different roles throughout the novel. What are some of these? What does food mean to the different characters?

We see glimpses of how several different households function, from the Lambs to the Josephs (Bellamy’s family) to the Elledges. How do they differ? Which dynamic reminds you the most of your own?

How does Le’Dar’s status as the narrator influence the telling of the novel? How would it be different if another family member had been narrating? 10.How much does Aubrey change throughout the novel, and in what ways? What do you think is next for her?