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Homer
Ellie’s crush and a member of the original group who goes camping in Hell before the war begins. Corrie is surprised when Ellie wants to invite Lee on their camping trip, since he isn’t really one of their close friends, but Ellie wants an excuse to spend more time with him. Lee and his family live above their restaurant—Lee’s mom and dad are from Vietnam and Thailand, respectively, and their restaurant serves Asian cuisine. Lee is quiet and shy, and his Asian heritage makes him feel like an outsider in Ellie’s group of friends. Lee is different from Ellie and the other rural kids, and instead of working on a farm or raising livestock, he takes piano and violin lessons. When Ellie and Lee are just getting to know each other, Ellie is surprised to discover that Lee shares her affinity for horror movies, which seems at odds with his quiet ways and love for classical music. Lee is multilayered and complicated, and he teaches Ellie there is often more to people than meets the eye, which proves to be an important lesson for many of the characters as they grow throughout the novel. Like Fiona, Lee is a bit sheltered and privileged compared to the others, but he still grows and matures during the war. Lee is willing to step out of his comfort zone, and when he is shot in the leg by the enemy soldiers, he shows incredible strength and bravery. Lee is in considerable physical pain for most of the novel, but he still participates and contributes to the group effort, even if that means doing less physical work, like making a rationed list of their food. Lee also falls in love with Ellie during the course of the war, which underscores Marsden’s argument that love and life go on, even in the face of war and imminent danger.
Lee Quotes in Tomorrow, When the War Began
The Tomorrow, When the War Began quotes below are all either spoken by Lee or refer to Lee. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 1 Quotes
I don’t know if I’ll be able to do this. I might as well say so now. I know why they chose me, because I’m meant to be the best writer, but there’s a bit more to it than just being able to write. There’s a few little things can get in the way. Little things like feelings, emotions.
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Chapter 6 Quotes
Robyn took over. “We’ve got to think, guys. I know we all want to rush off, but this is one time we can’t afford to give in to feelings. There could be a lot at stake here. Lives even. We’ve got to assume that something really bad is happening, something quite evil. If we’re wrong, then we can laugh about it later, but we’ve got to assume that they’re not down the pub or gone on a holiday.”
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“Maybe all my mother’s stories made me think of it before you guys. And like Robyn said before, if we’re wrong,” he was struggling to get the words out, his face twisting like someone having a stroke, “if we’re wrong you can laugh as long and loud as you want. But for now, for now, let’s say it’s true. Let’s say we’ve been invaded. I think there might be a war.”
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Epilogue Quotes
We’ve got to stick together, that’s all I know. We all drive each other crazy at times, but I don’t want to end up here alone, like the Hermit. Then this really would be Hell. Humans do such terrible things to each other that sometimes my brain tells me they must be evil. But my heart still isn’t convinced. I just hope we can survive.
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Lee Character Timeline in Tomorrow, When the War Began
The timeline below shows where the character Lee appears in Tomorrow, When the War Began. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...Ellie is glad to be getting out of town for a while. Next, Ellie calls Lee, and he agrees that camping sounds better than the Show. Corrie was surprised when Ellie...
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...never done a hard day’s work in her life. Fiona’s parents are lawyers, and besides Lee, she is the only one in their group who lives in town. Kevin is an...
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Robyn, Fiona, Lee, Homer, and Kevin are the “Famous Five,” and with Corrie and Ellie, they make the...
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Chapter 2
...bottles. They are hoping to find a water source in Hell. Ellie walks along with Lee, talking about horror movies, of which Lee is an expert. This detail surprises Ellie—she always...
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Chapter 3
...creek—where Ellie sits now as she writes—and Kevin begins to gather wood for a fire. Lee and Ellie are tasked with making dinner, and they decide on two-minute noodles. Fiona asks...
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Chapter 4
...Kevin are kissing on Kevin’s sleeping bag, and Fiona and Ellie wade in the creek. Lee sits reading All Quiet on the Western Front, and Robyn listens quietly to her Walkman....
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...she saw, and says it must have been a different lot from what Robyn saw. Lee comments that it is probably World War III. Australia could have been invaded, and they...
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Chapter 5
...and swim, much to Ellie’s dismay. She swims for only a few minutes, and then Lee sits down next to her and asks why she seems to upset. Ellie says she...
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Chapter 6
...a UFO, and Ellie suggests they get into the Land Rover and go to Homer’s. Lee asks if Ellie has a radio, and she says she does. She had tried to...
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...drives through the cattle grid and hits the horn, just as she always does, but Lee tells her to stop. She parks and Homer jumps out, yelling for his mom and...
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...again breaks down and begins to shout and argue. Fiona stands quietly chewing her nails. Lee quiets the group and urges them to listen to Robyn, who says going around to...
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Lee reminds them of the hundreds of planes flying over Hell, and Ellie suddenly remembers the...
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Chapter 7
...Show every year. Finding someone who stayed behind is their best bet for some answers. Lee doesn’t think his parents would have gone. They never do, he says.
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...the shed and head in the direction of town. As they move closer, Robyn and Lee ride ahead and check intersections before waving the rest of the group through. They ride...
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Robyn and Lee decide to go check Lee’s house, and Ellie, Kevin, and Corrie head towards the Showground...
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...house, Fiona and Homer are already there, but there is no sign of Robyn and Lee. They wait until 3:35 and then reluctantly climb on the bikes. They can’t wait any...
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Chapter 8
...head around the fact that she probably just killed three people and that Robyn and Lee are missing, so she keeps singing. At some point, Ellie realizes she is singing out...
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...Fiona sits staring. Homer wanders around, gathering food and silverware. The kitchen feels empty without Lee and Robyn, but they slowly begin talking, and they are soon all talking over one...
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...passed a house that had obviously been blown up. They hoped to see Robyn and Lee on the way, but they didn’t.
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Chapter 9
...survives. Later, inside Corrie’s house, they eat a late lunch and talk about Robyn and Lee. Homer hasn’t spoken in a while, and the rest of them stare at him, waiting...
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...tough. He suggests that two of them go into town and look for Robyn and Lee. If they don’t find them by midnight, they should go scope out Lee’s house—maybe they...
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Kevin asks what the remaining three do while the other two are looking for Lee and Robyn, and Homer says they should load anything they can find into Corrie’s Toyota...
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...but first, Homer thinks that he and Ellie should go into town and look for Lee and Robyn. Homer tells Kevin, Corrie, and Fiona to leave a car hidden at Ellie’s...
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Chapter 10
As Ellie and Homer head out to look for Robyn and Lee, Ellie is looking forward to spending time alone with this new Homer, whoever he is....
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...Ellie worries they are about to be ambushed, but they have to find out if Lee and Robyn are in the house. They creep to the door, and Ellie opens it,...
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...and Homer splash water on Robyn’s face until she wakes up. They immediately ask about Lee. Robyn tells them that Lee has been shot. He’s okay, but the wound is big...
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While Robyn and Lee were sneaking around town before Lee was shot, they found Mr. Clement, the local dentist,...
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...trouble in a house, they blow it up instead of risking a shoot-out. Robyn and Lee were running when they suddenly heard gunshots. They didn’t know where the shots were coming...
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...their story, Ellie says. Robyn was a total hero. She broke a window and carried Lee out on her back, kind of like those mothers who can lift cars when their...
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The bad news is that Lee can’t really walk, and the stiches won’t come out for a week—Mr. Clement taught Robyn...
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Chapter 11
...it is one of their own vehicles. Ellie makes her way down the street, and Lee and Robyn come into view. Lee looks pale, and Robyn is nervously scanning the street....
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...dropped on it. Ellie suddenly remembers that she hadn’t raised the shovel and wonders if Lee is okay.
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As they help Lee into the BMW, Homer says he figured they would escape in style. Robyn tells Ellie...
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...in the last day or so. They climb into Chris’s parents’ Mercury, and Ellie and Lee fill Chris in while Homer and Robyn sleep.
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Chapter 12
...See you there!” Ellie laughs and erases the message. Homer and Robyn are looking at Lee’s wound, and he assures them it is much better than yesterday. They have a whole...
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...at the barbeque, and Corrie stopping to play at eight years old. She dreams of Lee, and when she opens her eyes, it is midday and very hot. Ellie turns and...
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Chapter 13
...to town to fight is an unnecessary risk, but Kevin is ready to go, and Lee says he would go, too, if he could. Homer is ready to fight, too, just...
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...in contact, and they are to only gather information. Ellie stays in Hell with Fiona, Lee, and Homer and is excited thinking of the upcoming days. She has feelings for both...
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Chapter 14
...chickens and some wire fencing and headed back to Hell. Now, Ellie sits talking with Lee.
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Chapter 15
Ellie and Fiona plant a small vegetable garden, and Lee, still not very mobile, makes a rationed list of their food. Everyone one has been...
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...and then go out in search of more supplies when it gets dark. During lunch, Lee asks Ellie if she will take him to the Hermit’s hut. Ellie agrees, and by...
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Ellie and Lee make it to the Hermit’s hut and only stop to rest once. They talk as...
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...are papers and pictures, and a war medal awarded to Bertram Christie, which Ellie and Lee decide must be the Hermit’s name. There are newspaper clippings about the murder of Bertram’s...
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Chapter 16
Lee puts the papers back in the box and drops it into the rotting windowsill. They...
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...Robyn, Corrie, and Kevin are expected back at around 4:00. Ellie doesn’t want to leave Lee alone at the campsite, so she decides to go back into Hell alone.
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...Australia is her country, and she won’t be afraid. Ellie wants to get back to Lee and stay in Hell forever. She remembers how she thought about Hell and the people...
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Chapter 17
...wants to be Police Commissioner. They decide to make Homer the Minister of Defense, and Lee is Pensioner of the Year. Fiona is the Attorney General, and Robyn, who wants to...
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Chapter 18
...the impression that Chris will agree to do whatever the rest of them do, and Lee says he would fight if he could. Ellie feels like Fiona; she doesn’t know if...
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...Showground. They agree to leave the next night, and Ellie takes a walk alone, without Lee. She climbs down Satan’s Steps and watches as a dragonfly lands and eats a mosquito....
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Chapter 19
At midnight, Ellie hides in a culvert with Lee. They are on the edge of the highway and have made a very big mistake....
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The soldiers pass Ellie and Lee without incident, and Ellie finally relaxes. They lay low for another hour, but only one...
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...safe distance, light a match. Fiona asks how they get the cattle to stampede, and Lee asks how he is supposed to get away—he can’t very well run. Homer has already...
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Homer says that he will handle the cattle with Lee, but it is up to Fiona and Ellie to steal the truck and blow it...
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Chapter 20
...quiet at the distributor, so Ellie and Fiona stop to rest and call Homer and Lee on the walkie-talkie. Fiona tells Homer that they have made it, and there is plenty...
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...is enough distance between them and the patrol unit, and then they call Homer and Lee. They have been held up, the girls say, but they are back on track now....
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...happened, and Ellie answers that she just “failed [her] driving test.” They call Homer and Lee on the walkie-talkie again and make the last of their plans. Then, Fiona and Ellie...
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Chapter 21
...do it, and Ellie is secretly ashamed of how far she has already gone with Lee.
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...she can help Homer when they get married one day. Ellie admits that she loves Lee, too, and she silently realizes why she has been so jealous of Fiona and Homer....
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Chapter 22
Ellie and Fiona meet Homer and Lee in a nearby gully. As usual, they all start talking at once, and then they...
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It is dark by the time Fiona, Ellie, Homer, and Lee get on the road again. They decide to take to motorbikes to Ellie’s, where the...
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Epilogue
Ellie looks around at Homer, Robyn, Chris, Fiona, and Lee, and she knows they must all stay together. They fight and drive each other nuts,...
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