Jed is trouble from the beginning, and he causes headaches, heartache and even a couple of broken bones for various Strong women throughout the book. At his core, he longs to be a part of the Strong family and the moonshine business. When circumstances create the opportunity for him to join in at last, how does he handle it? Do you feel sorry for him? Are his feelings of being used and discarded valid? Or is the world—at least the Strongs’ world—truly better off without him?
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Jed is a spoiled, smug young man who basically almost destroyed the Strong family. He discloses information to the Feds about Hiram’s moonshine business, he marries into the family and is such a jerk to his new bride, he almost kills Rebekah and eventually deserts the family when they could use his help. Lidy had that boy’s number from the very beginning, but she wants her granddaughter to be happy, so Lidy stays silent. Sorry, no way, he’s a self-centered jerk. He wanted to be part of the family, to be the big man he thought he was, but when he had to step up and help, he wasn’t as smart as he thought. As for discarded, he was an unfaithful husband and a drunk, what good was he to the Strong family.
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Jed has a need for validation and he’s insecure. He’s his own worst enemy and he often makes choices that hurt others I don’t feel sorry for him. The Strong family are survival driven and Jed isn’t fully trusted. He needs to earn the trust and he needs to not act entitled. I think the Strong family would be better without him. He is more of a risk to them and he acts in an unpredictable manner. The women trust and know how to work with each other and he just adds emotional strain to the hierarchy they’ve built.
Ok, can we all agree, we love the fact that these are the “Strong” women! Jed is self-centered, spoiled, egotistical, and wants to be in charge and not do any work. He is violent and abusive. I did not feel sorry for him because he did not change and grow into being the “man” he could have been.
I’m with Team Strong here! Jed is awful and had chance after chance to redeem himself. I wanted him to become a better man, even if he didn’t end up staying with Elsie, but some people never change.
Well said Ladies! The Ozarks were better off without Jed.
I agree - I don’t feel sorry for Jed at all. He was nothing but trouble and self-absorbed. He showed his true colors multiple times and showed no insight into his own horrible behavior. Good riddance!
I can’t find one redeeming quality in Jed. So, I do not feel sorry for him. It says a lot that his parents claim Elise as their daughter-in-law so quickly and depend on her more than Jed.
I agree that Jed probably had insecurity and lacked any understanding of loyalty and responsibility. However, I thought maybe he was making a turnaround and really understanding a responsibility when he first started the moonshine transport. He seemed genuinely interested in helping to make profit in the moonshine business. He did improve his car to hide more moonshine and developed the method of turning off his taillights so as to hide the car from the law. If his brakes hadn’t failed that night he might have made something of his life at least for a bit. I did feel just a bit sorry for him with that failure.
I never felt sorry for Jed – he was interested in the moonshine and the money involved but wasn’t willing to do any work. The Strong family was definitely better off without him!
Jed was not a valuable member of the family and could not be trusted. The Strongs were better off without him.
I thought Jed was a horrible person. I did not feel sorry for him.
I have to admit, I did feel sorry for Jed in the beginning…I felt like his parents were unfair to him and made him feel like he wasn’t good at anything, but as the story went on, I didn’t feel any sympathy for him. He was very egotistical and selfish and didn’t treat Elsie or Hi with any love at all. Then when he abused Elsie, I really felt anger towards him…. I was glad when Shine and Rebecca ran him off. Elsie was much better off without him.
Jed was a young man who was spoiled in all the wrong ways. He became a manipulative, dishonest and cruel man. I had not one bit of sympathy for him!
Well stated. Jed was a loser. He believed he was entitled; likely a personality trait nurtured as a child. Low-down scum!
I think being part of the moonshine business was Jed’s primary objective. I am not sure about being part of the Strong family. I think by marrying Else he insured his involvement in moonshining. I don’t think he loved her or respected her. I don’t feel sorry for him at all. He seemed to be a selfish, immature person. Yes, after he wrecked the car and had to work on the farm to help out which was only reasonable he begrudged it. The Strong Family was definitely better off without him.
I am on the nature side of nature vs. nurture so I believe that Jed was just a weak person, but certainly being a spoiled only child did not help. He simply did not have a moral compass. I felt a little sorry for him because I think part of him really did want be accepted and appreciated by the Strong family.