The Willoughbys

Lois Lowry is a renowned American children’s author who has written over 30 books. Lois was a passionate and imaginative reader as a child, and it was always her dream to write fiction. She began writing professionally in the 1970s, and two of her books have been adapted into films, including The Willoughbys and The Giver. Lois Lowry writes fiction that challenges the norms of society and of children’s literature; her work features characters whose life circumstances serve as a way for Lowry to deliver subtle yet incisive social commentary. For example, Lowry’s most prominent novel, The Giver, portrays a seemingly utopian society that is highly ordered and has eliminated all physical and psychological suffering. However, the experiences of the child protagonist soon reveal the darker truths beneath this ostensibly perfect society, for its veneer of peace and order comes at a very high cost. In 1994, both The Giver and Number the Stars were awarded the John Newbery Medal, the highest honor that a children’s book can receive. Although Lowry’s books most often function as standalone stories, the themes of family, friendship, and connection run through each of them. In The Willoughbys, this trend takes the shape of a family that coalesces from many disparate misfortunes, mistakes, and instances of neglect.