Book Summary and Reviews of The Entire Sky by Joe Wilkins

Book Summary

With echoes of Demon Copperhead and Plainsong, a poignant story about a troubled boy on the run, an aging rancher, and a woman at a crossroads, who find unexpected solace and kinship in the family they make.

With his long hair and penchant for guitar, teenage Justin is the spitting image of his idol, Kurt Cobain—a resemblance that has often marked him an outcast. When the long-simmering abuse from his uncle finally boils over, Justin has no choice but to break free, in a violent act that will haunt him, and try to make it on his own as a runaway.

Meanwhile, in rural Montana, Rene Bouchard, a rancher nearing retirement, grieves the recent death of his wife. Her passing has revealed precisely how fractured the family has become—particularly the relationship between Rene and his daughter, Lianne. As old wounds ache anew, father and daughter begin to doubt the possibility of reconciliation, even as they each privately yearn for it.

Justin's wanderings bring him to the Bouchard family ranch, and soon Rene and Lianne take the boy in as their own. But before long, Justin's past threatens to catch up with him, jeopardizing not only his new bond with Rene and Lianne but also the home he's finally been able to claim. With its lyricism, tangible evocation of place, and piercing insight reminiscent of the novels of Barbara Kingsolver and Kent Haruf, The Entire Sky is an unforgettable piece of modern, American fiction.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Each of the three main characters—Justin, Rene, and Lianne—have, in some ways, run away. What are they running from? What personal, social, economic, and other forces are pushing on each of them? Is running away sometimes a reasonable answer? When? And why? What does it accomplish for each of these characters?
2. In what ways does the novel's structure—moving back and forth in time between April 1994 and Before—influence the story and your perceptions of the characters? Must we know and understand the past to move forward? Or are there times we ought to forget? Where do you see remembering and forgetting in the novel?
3. Poverty, abandonment, abuse—Justin has had to deal with far more than any ...