Although most of Joey's adventures take place in a magical world apart from everyday earthly realities, Beagle does show some of the elements of despair in real life. Old John Papas is lonely, almost a lost soul as he toils in a small shop in a run-down neighborhood. Joey is neglected enough at home that she seeks adult attention elsewhere, at Papas's shop. To Indigo, Joey declares, "And you ought to be scared, because it's a really, really scary world where I live." In fact, one of the novel's most memorable scenes involves the homeless people whom Joey discovers when Indigo takes her to meet a unicorn who has chosen to remain human.

In this scene, a man provides the human/ unicorn with soda and a slice of pizza, puts his arm around her, and declares her to be his woman. Why would a magical unicorn...