As World War II descends on the close-knit families of Willowridge, Wisconsin, the town’s wisest resident proves to be a simpleminded teenage boy nicknamed Earwig. Though a childhood illness left his mind diminished in some ways, he has a gift for candidly sorting fact from gossip and offering unbridled advice. When his beloved brother, Jimmy, is sent to the Pacific and becomes a prisoner of war, Earwig keeps his family hopeful while he struggles to understand the nature of suffering itself. And in the aftermath of war, it is Earwig who brings Jimmy back from a state of trauma and anguish, giving voice to the truths that remain unspeakable to the rest of Willowridge.

By turns tender and wry, Carry Me Home captures a mesmerizing snapshot of love–between brothers, parents, young couples, and lifelong friends–through the eyes of a frank, inspiring narrator. The questions and discussion topics that follow are intended to enhance your reading of Sandra Kring’s Carry Me Home. We hope they will enrich your experience of this heartwarming novel.