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Back Come Again No More Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover
  3. Title Page
  4. Contents
  5. PART I 
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. 9.
  15. 10.
  16. 11.
  17. 12.
  18. PART II 
  19. 13.
  20. 14.
  21. 15.
  22. 16.
  23. 17.
  24. 18.
  25. 19.
  26. 20.
  27. 21.
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  29. 23.
  30. 24.
  31. 25.
  32. 26.
  33. 27.
  34. 28.
  35. 29.
  36. 30.
  37. PART III 
  38. 31.
  39. 32.
  40. 33.
  41. 34.
  42. 35.
  43. 36.
  44. 37.
  45. 38.
  46. 39.
  47. PART IV 
  48. 40.
  49. 41.
  50. 42.
  51. 43.
  52. 44.
  53. 45.
  54. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  55. Touchstone Reading Group Guide

The novel then follows the life of Eli’s granddaughter (Velma’s daughter) Emaline—a lonely waitress. She crosses paths with the famous boxer Jake McCloskey, in town for his next bout, and though his crass attitude and lack of manners are beneath Emaline, she falls for him. He can’t spell his own name, but he can dance, and he promises her a life quite different from the quiet one she leads. But their marriage ends up uncovering pieces of Jake’s past he had tried to keep hidden: Jake had a first wife, who shows up one day at their door with the son Jake never knew he had. Emaline and Jake’s marriage is put to the test as Emaline slowly discovers the man that Jake truly is—carefree and careless. Eventually she must face the ultimate question: in marriage, and in life, when do the sacrifices end?

FOR DISCUSSION

1. The title of the book is taken from the novel’s epigraph, which asks for “hard times” to “come again no more.” This is a book where people seem to be always on the move, running away from troubles, and trying to start a new life or make amends with a former one. Do you think that trouble has a way of finding the Paint family? Or did the Paint family have a way of finding trouble?

2. The first part of the novel is about Eli and his mistake of not being involved with his daughter Velma and his granddaughter Emaline. Emaline isn’t able to forgive him when he arrives late for Velma’s funeral. Later, he gets into a car accident and fights for survival. Did this accident make you sympathize with Eli? If this scene weren’t in the novel, would you have felt the same way?

3. Does Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s inauguration speech (chapter 10) about the fears of the Great Depression resonate with you today? Do you agree with Emaline’s commentary, interspersed within the speech?

4. Emaline continually has a dream about The Burning Man, an American Indian god-like creature who “communed with her without speaking, offered a vision of something beyond time and death” (page 221). He is first perceived as a sort of monster, but slowly becomes a comforting image. Why do you think there was a shift in Emaline’s response to this recurring dream? Why do you think the first part of the novel is titled “The Burning Man”?

5. Forgiveness is a central theme: both Eli and Jake are searching for absolution for past misdeeds and misconducts to their families. Who can be forgiven? Who can’t? Why?

6. Jake McCloskey is arguably the character who changes the most, for good or ill. Chart the progression of his relationship with Emaline. Were there any moments where you lost faith in Jake? Could you understand why he made certain decisions? Was Emaline justified in her worries and fears?