Great and Precious Things

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness and death.

One of the novel’s protagonists and a point-of-view character, Cam is Arthur’s son and Xander and Sullivan’s brother. Several other characters describe him as tall and muscular, with many tattoos on his arms. As a child, he had a fiery temper and often got into trouble. The people of his hometown (Alba, Colorado) believe that he was responsible for the fire that burned down the mine’s bunkhouse when he was a child, and Judge Bradley believes that he was somehow responsible for Willow getting lost in the mine and breaking her nose. These things lead many to feel anger and resentment toward Cam. However, after six years away, he returns to help with his father’s medical care—despite how the people of Alba treat him.

Cam spent several years in the military after high school, fighting alongside his brother Sullivan, who died in action. Cam’s decision to send Sullivan’s troop into battle led to Sullivan’s death, which in turn caused Cam years of guilt and regret. The novel opens as he returns to Alba for the first time since Sullivan’s funeral, where his father directly blamed him for Sullivan’s death.