Willoughby’s Way

In this whimsical and imaginative cozy sci-fi adventure, the author blends elements of science fiction with a folksy, small-town sensibility to create a heartwarming tale of found family and a search for identity in the face of loss.

The story’s protagonist, WILLOUGHBY WAYFARE, is highly endearing. His unwavering politeness, earnest innocence, and vulnerability in a strange new world make him easy to root for. He serves as a strong emotional anchor, and his journey of self-discovery and adaptation is compelling.

In 1955, on his first day at intergalactic sleepaway camp, a tragic accident finds the young alien stuck in a pickle jar where he becomes just another curiosity gathering dust on a shelf. When he’s reanimated seventy years later, the small, gray being wakes up with no memories in a world he doesn’t recognize and with only one clue to his past, a note taped to his jar.

On the move, but disoriented and alone, Willoughby is drawn back to the original camp location. Seven decades have passed, the camp has been closed and sold off (Earth is too dangerous now!), and it’s currently a hobby farm named NORTHSTAR FARM tended to by a kind couple affectionally called GRAVY TRAIN and WHIRLY BIRD by the resident animals.

The world of Northstar Farm is a snug sanctuary populated by creatures with sharp wits and big hearts. The dynamic between the young wayward alien and the animals of Northstar Farm is the undeniable heart of this book and delivers perfectly on the promise of a hopeful, comforting read. 

Willoughby takes refuge at Northstar Farm on a bitter January night, where he’s discovered by a family of barn cats led by the pragmatic matriarch, OREO.

With the gentle humor of a classic fish-out-of-water story and the sincerity of a found family tale, the author blends whimsy and peril to create a unique world. The juxtaposition of formidable events within a pastoral setting creates an engaging dynamic that draws the reader in. 

Topics such as death and the circle of life are handled with grace and emotional depth, making Northstar Farm and the cast of characters feel real, complex, and layered, allowing moments of love and friendship to become even more precious and meaningful.

After inadvertently activating a device on his chest, Willoughby learns three things: he was sent to Camp Gallivant in 1955, his elderly mother is dying, and to trigger a shuttle to return home, he must successfully complete twelve challenges. 

Incredibly, the built-in tech Willoughby was sent away to camp with still works (most of the time), and he’s able to continue his quest and earn merit badges, hopeful that a shuttle will be sent to collect him upon completion.

Aided by the sharp-witted barn cats and a quirky menagerie of critters, Willoughby must navigate a baffling modern world, overcome obstacles, and adapt to rural life.

The book follows an episodic structure, with each month bringing a new challenge that Willoughby and his companions must solve with creativity, resilience, and modern ingenuity. The external conflict of the camp challenges and the mystery surrounding Willoughby’s history add layers of tension.

Throughout his journey, Willoughby uncovers fragments of his past and the nature of the camp that leads him to investigate his origins. As he pieces together clues, the story questions what is true when memory is gone and unreliable sources are contradictory, pushing Willoughby to define himself by his present actions rather than a forgotten past. 

Though driven by the objective of returning home, Willoughby learns to find purpose, joy, and fulfillment in his current circumstances, and his love for his found family becomes a defining feature of his life.  Each challenge deepens his bond with his companions, creating an internal struggle between his desire to return home and his feeling of belonging. This makes his goal of leaving increasingly difficult, because with every task he completes, Willoughby gets closer to separating from the only family he knows.

As the last challenge approaches, Willoughby receives a message that his mother has entered final stasis, increasing his urgency and need to say farewell and give her peace and closure in her final moments.

Willoughby Wayfare is a stranger in a strange land whose tenderheart and cheery disposition serve as both his greatest weakness and his ultimate superpower. His journey offers a fresh and humorous lens through which to explore how we find belonging and create our own place and identity when we feel like aliens. This novel grants a reprieve from everyday concerns and reinforces the belief that kindness and community can solve even the most out-of-the-world problems.