Coming-To Narrative Stories

“In a world nearly destroyed by global warming, the Indigenous people of North America are being hunted for their bone marrow, which carries the key to recovering something the rest of the population has lost: the ability to dream. Main character Frenchie and his companions, struggling to survive, don’t yet know that one of them holds the secret to defeating the marrow thieves.”

This is the basic premise for the novel The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline. Throughout the novel, we read each character’s “Coming-To” story. These stories help to give us some background about the character and how they came to the group. 

Essentially, each Coming-To story can be broken down to these main elements: 

1. The character’s origins (where is the character from) 

2. The character’s struggles 

3. A turning point 

4. Something that gives the character hope for the future

In this assignment, students needed to write their own Coming-To story! In their stories, they answered the question, “How is it that you came to be here in Div 2 at Meridian Academy?”

Here were the requirements for the story:

1. At least 2-3 pages, double spaced with typical margins and font size. 

2. Include the four elements that are numbered above. 

3. Address the following questions:

   1. What have you been through to get to this moment? 

   2. What has been a moment or event from your life that has made you see things differently or changed you in some way? 

Enjoy our stories! What rings true for you from their personal stories? Can you relate? What might your Coming-To story entail? Please comment below!