Self-Blame
The reason that Abilene's father Jinx has spent a lifetime running away from himself is that he has constantly blamed himself for any wrong or misfortune that befalls someone else. A case in point is his running from Manifest the first time, when a man died and he assumed he was to blame. Jinx is a coward when it comes to facing up to anything that he has done and so runs away so that he doesn't have to address it. His theory is that if you don't look at something it's not actually there. He runs from Manifest a second time after Ned's death because he blames himself for that too. After all, if he hadn't made a fake birth certificate then Ned could not have enlisted and then of course could not have died in the war -except that Jinx is forgetting that Ned would most likely have found another forger if Jinx had not helped him. He also runs away when he thinks he caused harm to his daughter. He seems to have nicknamed himself Jinx because he believes he is one; however, the theme of blaming oneself runs throughout the book and is an important teaching tool about the value of self worth and of owning mistakes whilst not blaming oneself for things that are not one's own fault.
Great Depression
Although the book is set after the end of the Great Depression, it's obvious that the town of Manifest is still suffering and that the people who live there struggle to put food on the table sometimes. The town looks run down because nobody can afford to repair anything. It is a community that is just getting by, at best, and this is a result of the Great Depression.
The theme is also dealt with from an historical perspective, as a large part of Jinx's life, and what shaped it, occurred during the Depression. The book tells us how unscrupulous mine owners were able to manipulate the state of the economy in order to benefit themselves.
Importance of Family
Abilene feels abandoned by her father, having previously been raised by him and believed herself to be close knit with him. She desperately wants him to come back but in order for him to do so she needs to let him know somehow that she understands why he ran away and that she forgives him for doing so. The importance of family is also demonstrated by Jinx's returning to Manifest to see her when he believes her to be sick, despite the fact his is obviously traumatized by his time in the town. He puts her needs above his own when push comes to shove which stresses the importance of family.
