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Before the Ever After by: Jacqueline Woodson

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Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson is a novel-in-verse about a young boy, ZJ, whose father, a former pro football star, suffers from memory loss and mood swings due to head injuries from his career, forcing ZJ to navigate his changing family life and the loss of his hero, supported by his friends and community. The book explores themes of family, friendship, grief, and the impact of CTE on athletes and their loved ones, all told through ZJ’s lyrical and poignant voice. 

Key aspects of the novel:
  • Protagonist:

    Zachariah “ZJ” Johnson, Jr., the son of a famous football player. 

  • Plot:

    ZJ’s father, once a beloved hero, begins to experience severe cognitive decline, including memory loss and anger, due to concussions from his football career. 

  • Structure:

    The story is told in verse, divided into sections reflecting on the “Before” (the glory days) and the “Ever After” (the new reality). 

  • Themes:

    It deals with the emotional toll of CTE, the challenges of a child understanding a parent’s illness, the importance of friendship, and the resilience of family and community. 

  • Style:
    Written in lyrical, accessible prose poetry that captures ZJ’s perspective of love, loss, and confusion. 

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Description

Before the Ever After

Publisher Description

WINNER OF THE NAACP IMAGE AWARD WINNER OF THE CORETTA SCOTT KING AUTHOR AWARD   National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson’s stirring novel-in-verse explores how a family moves forward when their glory days have passed and the cost of professional sports on Black bodies. For as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has been everyone’s hero. As a charming, talented pro football star, he’s as beloved to the neighborhood kids he plays with as he is to his millions of adoring sports fans. But lately life at ZJ’s house is anything but charming. His dad is having trouble remembering things and seems to be angry all the time. ZJ’s mom explains it’s because of all the head injuries his dad sustained during his career. ZJ can understand that–but it doesn’t make the sting any less real when his own father forgets his name. As ZJ contemplates his new reality, he has to figure out how to hold on tight to family traditions and recollections of the glory days, all the while wondering what their past amounts to if his father can’t remember it. And most importantly, can those happy feelings ever be reclaimed when they are all so busy aching for the past?

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