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Back Come Again No More
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.
  28. 22.
  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

7. Toward the end of the novel, Jake is preoccupied with being a dominant figure in his family. He wants to be obeyed regardless of his decision, which is the reason his family is uprooted several times. Why do you think Jake becomes like this? Is it about power? Insecurity? Or something else altogether?

8. How does the freeing of “the black” (the unruly and untamed horse) at the end of the novel fit in with the rest of the book? Do you see any parallels between “the black” and one of the other characters?

9. Come Again No More is set during the Great Depression. Did this novel reinforce your perception of the time period? What new details about the era did you find within the book?

10. The novel depicts characters of many ethnicities: Choctaw, Mexican, Welsh, Slovenian, Swedish, and more. Did this diversity in the American West shock you? Does this prove that America is truly a melting pot of culture? Were there any distinguishing characteristics of these cultures in the narrative? If so, what were they? If not, what does this signify?

11. There are several parallels set up in the novel. Both Eli and Emaline break their legs due to motor accidents, Jake and Bobby go into the armed services, and World War I is in the mind of the characters as World War II is impending. Are there others you can think of? What do these parallels suggest about history, time, and the characters themselves?

12. Wyoming is noted to be the first state where women had the right to vote. How do you think Come Again No More demonstrates why men and women in the West saw themselves as equals?

13. The novel is separated into four parts; Emaline is the main character for the middle two and Eli is the main character for the first and last. Why do you think the author decided to split the narrative that way? How does it add (or take away from) the impact of the story?

A CONVERSATION WITH JACK TODD

You mention in your author note that some of these stories were based on those of your family. Which story was your favorite to explore in the novel? Is it interesting to see it in a fictionalized format?