CARIBOU, Maine – When Betty Culley published her young adult novel “Three Things I Know Are True” in January 2020, she didn’t intend or expect its themes of forgiveness, grief and kindness to become even more relevant for young people.
But since then, a global pandemic, divisive national politics and stories of gun violence have made the world more challenging for preteens and teens to navigate.
During a visit to Caribou Community School Friday, Culley reminded middle school students that people and their stories are more than the societal issues they sometimes become entangled with.
In “Three Things I Know Are True,” written entirely in verse, the narrator Liv is a high school student living in a former Maine mill town. Her older brother Jonah is disabled and barely surviving after accidentally shooting himself with a gun belonging to the father of his best friend, Clay. Liv’s mother decides to sue Clay’s family.
Though similar stories have appeared in national media, Culley said that her real inspiration came from working as a pediatric and adult home health care nurse. Many of her young patients needed round-the-clock care but siblings always stood by them.
“They knew exactly how to make their brother or sister feel good when no one else could,” Culley said. “It didn’t matter that their siblings couldn’t play the same games. They found ways to include them.”
Throughout the novel, Liv suspects that Clay is dealing with immense guilt and grief, but she fears crossing the “invisible line” between their families. Liv learns the power of giving compassion and empathy to others despite their differences, Culley said.
Students might not ever be in Liv’s shoes, but they might find themselves reaching out to someone in need of comfort and someone to listen, Culley noted.
“Don’t be afraid to cross the line because that’s when the magic happens,” Culley said. “Maybe one day you’ll realize that it changed your life.”
Culley’s visit with Caribou students marks the first time she has traveled to Aroostook County. Culley, who lives in Mercer, also wrote the young adult novel “The Name She Gave Me” and the middle-grade novels “The Natural Genius of Ants” and “Down to Earth.” Caribou middle school students received copies of Culley’s books that the school purchased.
Caribou Community School eighth graders Grace Walton and Archer Crocker said that “Three Things I Know Are True” inspired them to look at the characters and people in their own lives differently.
“Put yourself in someone else’s shoes and don’t judge them immediately because you might not know what’s going on,” Walton said about the novel’s message.
While visiting the school, Culley also held a writing workshop for students, read from “Three Things I Know Are True” and signed copies of her books. Local artists, state police officers and medical professionals met with students to discuss their careers and themes from the novel.
Eighth grade English and language arts teacher Kim Barnes said that Culley’s novel is an inspiring tale of resiliency and can show students the power of listening to and learning from one another.
“They don’t necessarily have to agree with each other, but if they pause a moment to listen, they could develop empathy [for others],” Barnes said.
