The Power of Small-Town Community in Things We Never Got Over

Thematic Claim: The Village That Heals

In Lucy Score’s Things We Never Got Over, the town of Knockemout functions as more than a setting—it is an active character that counteracts the damage wrought by Tina Witt’s chaos. The community’s collective support creates a surrogate family for Naomi and Waylay, proving that love, protection, and belonging can heal old wounds that blood ties have failed to mend. This theme asserts that resilience is not an individual achievement but a communal gift.

How the Community Takes Shape Across the Plot

1. Rescue and Refuge (Chapters 6–9)

When Naomi arrives in Knockemout with only a niece she never knew and a garbage bag of belongings, the community immediately steps in. Knox Morgan, despite his gruff exterior, refuses to let her stay in an unsafe motel or a broken-in trailer. He drives her to a cottage on his grandmother’s property, offering shelter without strings. Liza J. Persimmon welcomes them into her home, and Chief Nash Morgan provides legal guidance on kinship custody. Even the librarian Sloane (a key resident) offers free coffee and a job to Waylay at the library’s tech desk. This network transforms Naomi’s worst day into the beginning of a new life.

2. Building Roots (Chapters 10–28)

The community’s investment deepens as Naomi and Waylay integrate. Sloane’s library becomes a second home; she pays Waylay in snacks and extra book privileges, giving the girl a sense of purpose and normalcy. The introduction of Chloe (Sloane’s niece) at the pizza dinner creates a friendship that breaks Waylay’s isolation. Naomi’s parents, Lou and Amanda, eventually move to Knockemout, but even before that, Amanda and Lou become de facto grandparents to Waylay. When Waylay sneaks out with jarred mice to get revenge on Mrs. Felch, Knox intervenes, and Lou defends Naomi against the school’s judgment. The town absorbs their troubles, turning incidents into bonding moments.

3. The Search Party (Chapter 47–48)

The ultimate expression of community solidarity occurs when Tina abducts Naomi and Waylay. In chapter 48, the entire population of Honky Tonk bar mobilizes instantly. Wraith stands on the bar organizing volunteers into a search party. Silver, Fi, Max, and dozens of others shrug into coats to join the hunt. Knox tracks Naomi’s phone, and the police coordinate with civilians. The scene emphasizes that no one stands alone: half the town pours into the bar, and even the dogs join the search. This orchestrated rescue is not a plot convenience but the logical outcome of a community that has already adopted Naomi and Waylay as its own.

Character Connections to the Theme

• Naomi Witt : She arrives as a reluctant recipient of help, but her willingness to trust and later give back (cooking dinners, cleaning Liza’s house, mentoring Waylay) makes her an integral part of the community. Her growth from isolated runaway bride to beloved neighbor demonstrates that healing happens through interdependence.

• Knox Morgan : Knox embodies the tension between independence and community. He inherited a fortune yet lives in a modest cabin and avoids emotional ties. Lou confronts him in chapter 41, pointing out that Knox’s fear of losing people (stemming from his parents’ deaths) makes him push others away. It is the community’s example—especially Lou and Amanda’s unconditional love—that teaches him that staying is braver than leaving.

• Waylay Witt : Waylay is the bridge between Naomi and the town. Her resilience impresses adults; Sloane calls her a “godsend.” Chloe’s friendship signals acceptance by the next generation. Waylay’s adoption of the town’s dogs and her participation in family creek games symbolize her rooting.

• Liza J. Persimmon : Knox’s grandmother represents the matriarchal heart of Knockemout. She opens her home, shares stories, and insists that Naomi and Waylay belong. Her approval legitimizes Naomi in the eyes of other residents.

• Tina Witt : The antagonist is the anti-community: she exploits people, abandons her child, and sows chaos. Her absence is what makes the community’s presence necessary. Tina’s actions force the town to choose sides, and they choose Naomi.

Symbol Connections

• Coffee : Appears at Cafe Rev, the library, and Liza’s kitchen. Coffee is a ritual of welcome. The barista Justice initially denies Naomi service because of Tina’s reputation, but later the town offers unlimited coffee as a gesture of inclusion. It symbolizes the warmth and routine of community life.

• Wedding Dress : The dress that Naomi fled in becomes a relic of a failed future. Knox stores it in his truck, and later Naomi repurposes it (or lets it go). The dress’s transformation mirrors Naomi’s shift from a planned, solitary life to an improvised, communal one.

• Flash Drive : Tina’s flash drive holds evidence of her crimes. It is a MacGuffin that threatens the community by attracting dangerous outsiders. When the town unites to protect Naomi and Waylay from the fallout, the flash drive becomes a symbol of the secrets that community solidarity can overcome.

• Daisies : In the epilogue, Knox insists that Naomi wear daisies in her hair for their wedding. Daisies are simple, resilient wildflowers that grow in any soil—like the love that blooms in Knockemout. They symbolize the new, unpretentious life the community has helped Naomi build.

Complexity and Contradiction

The theme is not without tension. Knockemout’s protective instincts can also be insular. Naomi initially faces suspicion because of Tina’s reputation; Sloane’s first comment to her is “You’re not Tina,” implying the town has already judged the Witt name. The grocery store scene where Waylay is given the evil eye shows that community memory can be slow to forgive. It takes time and repeated acts of trust for Naomi and Waylay to earn their place.

Moreover, Knox’s resistance to community involvement highlights the fragility of collective support. He tries to keep Naomi at arm’s length, insisting he doesn’t want the responsibility. The community’s pressure on him to commit (Lou’s speech, Liza’s nudging) mirrors the way small towns enforce relational norms. This control can feel coercive, yet in this novel it is presented as loving intervention.

Finally, the resolution in the epilogue risks sentimentality: grandparents move into the cabin, Tina signs away rights, and a perfect life emerges. However, Score’s author’s note grounds the fantasy in real grief. She wrote the book after losing friends’ husbands, and she identifies the theme as “the bravery of loving despite knowing love’s end.” The happy ending is earned by the community’s daily acts of showing up, not by magic.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does the community of Knockemout function as a foil to Tina Witt?
   Answer: Tina represents selfishness, abandonment, and exploitation. The community embodies selflessness, commitment, and generosity. Where Tina steals Naomi’s car and leaves Waylay behind, the town provides a cottage, a job, legal aid, and a search party. The contrast reinforces the theme that found family can be more reliable than blood.

2. What role does Waylay play in connecting Naomi to the town?
   Answer: Waylay is the reason Naomi stays, but she also acts as a social ambassador. Her job at the library impresses adults, her friendship with Chloe brings Naomi into parent circles, and her need for stability forces Knox and others to step up. Without Waylay, Naomi might have left; with her, the community rallies.

3. Why does Knox resist community involvement, and how does he overcome it?
   Answer: Knox fears loss because he lost both parents early. He avoids emotional bonds to protect himself. The community—especially Naomi, Lou, and Liza—challenges his isolation. Lou’s speech in chapter 41 forces him to see that walking away is a choice, not fate. He overcomes his fear by accepting that community means both risk and reward.

4. How does the library symbolize the town’s values?
   Answer: Sloane’s library offers free coffee, laundry, classes, and tech help. It is a democratic space where all ages and incomes meet. Waylay’s paid job there gives her dignity. The library is physical evidence that Knockemout invests in its people’s growth, not just in commerce.

5. What is the significance of Knox’s proposal involving daisies?
   Answer: Daisies are simple, resilient, and native—unlike the elaborate wedding Naomi fled. By choosing daisies, Knox signals that their love does not need perfection; it thrives in the ordinary life the community has built. The proposal at Waylay’s birthday party confirms that family includes the whole town.