Identity

By allowing her third person narrator to inhabit each of her main character's distinct points of view, the author explores the ways in which the search for identity is an innate human experience. Although Lacey May, Noelle, Jade, Nelson, Margarita, and Diane are all unique characters, throughout the novel, each of them is in the process of discovering their true self. Lacey's complicated relationships with Robbie and Hank, Noelle's difficult marriage and longing for motherhood, Jade's determination to care for Gee, Nelson's reluctance to allowing himself happiness, and Margarita's and Diane's attempts to define themselves outside the context of their family dictate the characters' individual journeys towards self-discovery.

Not unlike her sisters, Noelle's character is eager for a life undefined by the troubles of her past, a desire which motivates almost all of her decisions. The first time the reader meets Noelle as an adult in...