What are the motifs in Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman?

Obsession is a recurring idea. March has a good life in California. March has a husband who is kind and caring, even if he is quiet. March has a good career, making jewelry that sells well in California consignment shops. March has a daughter who is a little wild, but smart and kind like her father. March seldom thinks about the past, feeling as though what is past is past. However, when Judith Dale dies, March finds herself forced to return to her hometown. March promises herself and her husband that she will only remain in town long enough to bury the woman who was like a mother to her and to pack up the house.