Mother-Daughter Relationships
The narrative revolves around a family comprising of and led by women, as the men are either absent or unmentioned in their lives. For that reason, the plot focuses on the complicated relationships between mothers and their daughters. While it explores the female bond it also highlights the strain and difficulty in the relationships. The matriarch and the women in her family from three generations create the basis for this conflict and thereby the powerful bond. Admittedly, the fragility of such relationships makes up most of the narrative but also the unconditional love of a mother. The mothers desire to create and shape the lives of their children devoid of the mistakes that they themselves made. That said, the daughters—in seeking independence—struggle with their loyalty to the family as they also find solace in their shared pain.
Religion
Native Americans tie identity to their culture and tradition but in this case, the identity of the characters is attached to religion. The women practice Christianity and are devout members of the Baptist church in which they have raised their daughters. While the church is a source of identity and support, it also becomes a constraint to living a more independent life, especially for the younger members. At some point, Justine and Reney disengage from the religious community and the church to seek a different path. Nevertheless, faith plays an important role in the family in providing the stability that they lack in other aspects of their lives. The novel taps into the repressive nature of religion in terms of the community being critical of its members’ life decisions.
Cycle of Poverty and Abuse
The story weaves in indigenous history to explore the cycle of poverty that has stricken the Native communities in modern society. Partly due to government negligence, racial discrimination, and social problems that hound the indigenous tribes in the reservations. This socioeconomic disparity is a motif that is constant throughout the lives of the four generations of Cherokee women. The family also has a history of abuse and violence that range from physical and sexual abuse to racial violence. Their story showcases the resilience and strength of these women navigating the unfair social conditions and patriarchal ideologies. It further speaks on the violence against the Natives taking into account the oppression and exploitation of the tribes and their resources.
