Contemporary Realism: Before the Ever After

 

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson. Penguin Random House (Nancy Paulsen Books), Sept 2020. 176 pages, $17.99, 9780399545436.

    Before the Ever After is set in the late 1990s and early 2000s when chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and its consequences were not as known. At first, Zachariah, ZJ's father and famous football star, was at the height of his career. He has a great relationship with his family. After one too many concussions, Zachariah eventually succumbs to CTE, facing mood swings, explosive outbursts, memory lapses, and excruciating headaches. The family does not know what is causing the deterioration, and the doctors do not have any answers. The family is left to find a way to live with this new normal in the "ever after" while reminiscing about better times when Zachariah remembered ZJ's name.

    Some of the themes in this story are football and brain injuries, the relationship between father and son, and overcoming adversity with the help of family and friends. The story emulates the pain of loss and prestige. Zachariah suffers from CTE due to numerous injuries and concussions he sustained throughout his football career. Although all family members face the consequences of the disease, the primary focus remains on the relationship between father and child, the things that bond them, and the nostalgic memories they create together. ZJ is grieving. He does not understand why his father is fading and why they cannot go back to “before the ever after.” Throughout it all, ZJ finds comfort in the music he created with his father. The music and songs contain the memories of happier times. ZJ can use them to reach out and connect to his father, even in his deteriorating state. ZJ not only finds solace in music but also solace within his support system of family and friends. His mother does her best to care for her husband while remaining a mother to ZJ. She encourages him to be a child a little longer. His friends provide the emotional support commonly found among friends. Through this strong support system, ZJ can build his resilience throughout a difficult time. 

    Although the story is in verse, the heartbreaking, lyrical prose reads like a story with short chapters. There is a good balance between narration and dialogue. The story is told through the eyes of a child, showcasing his fear, confusion, and sadness as his father succumbs to the disease. This viewpoint is appropriate because the reader understands ZJ emotions as he watches his father change. ZJ struggles to process and understand what is going on. In the afterward section, the author finally names the disease that affected ZJ's father. The author gives helpful history and causes of CTE. Overall, the child reader will learn more about CTE. Although they might not relate to the family's direct experience with the disease, they can relate to the experience of going through difficult and uncontrollable times with their families. They can relate to the need to turn to family and friends for support.