Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a futuristic society in which all the needs of its citizens seem to have been met; they are protected from poverty, hunger, disease, and violence. When Jonas is given his lifetime assignment, he becomes the receiver of “the memories of the whole world” that are held by just one other person in the community. Jonas then discovers that his own world is far from perfect: in order to achieve sameness and security, the society has also sacrificed feelings, love, and choice. Facing History & Ourselves has developed a study guide to accompany this book.
