SuitabookThe way he lived
Emily Wing Smith
- Reading
- Consider reading together or checking in after the story’s account of Joel’s death. Let the reader set the pace, and invite them to talk about whichever character’s memories stay with them.
- Themes
- Memory and acceptance: People who grew up around Joel remember him after his death; the story presents a community that admired him but could not accept who he was. The contrast is central to the tragedy, but the exact treatment of individual characters and their responses is not clear.
- Death and legacy: Joel dies from thirst and heat exhaustion while hiking, having collapsed while trying to get water for a friend; those around him reflect on his life afterward. The book’s stance on this remains unclear.
- Worth knowing
- Joel’s death is a central event, with thirst and heat exhaustion specified as its cause. The story also involves difficulty accepting a gay teenager; both grief and rejection may merit consideration.