Water

Water pervades the novel as a symbol of renewal and resilience. At pivotal moments, images of water refreshing or cleansing Ada or those around her come to the young woman's mind. When the bookseller abandons her in the wilderness of Powder River country, she mentions that she has not had a drop of water the entire day and so, her first instinct is to "drink deep" (47) just as she is about to find the gang's encampment.

Water has the power to connect people and the power to heal. It also symbolizes acceptance and peace. It is no surprise that at the end of the novel, one of the first tasks that Ada accomplishes at the surgery in Pagosa Springs is to "set a pot of water boiling" (259). The symbol of water stands in sharp contrast to the barrenness that ails Ada and countless other women "from...