Jayber Crow

In 1942, news of World War II begins to circulate and Jayber worries about the effect it will have on the small town. He does not feel the government has much care for tiny places like Port William, but its people are just as vulnerable as any to pain and loss. Jayber is 28, and he thinks about what part he should play in the war. He does not agree with killing people because Jesus said to love your enemies, but he also does not want to shirk his duty. Miss Gladdie Finn is Jayber’s neighbor who lost her son in World War I and tells Jayber she is fearful of another war. Miss Gladdie is a woman from another time, and Jayber admires how she has continued to live despite enduring such a profound loss. Jayber decides to register for the draft and goes to have his medical examination. The doctor discovers he has a heart murmur and therefore cannot serve. He is at first incredulous but ultimately relieved. The community collectively grieves each time a son or daughter is killed in the war. Jasper Lathrop is called up and closes the store, and so it becomes a gathering place for the men left behind.