Content Warning: This section includes discussion of racism, graphic violence, child death, death by suicide, and physical abuse.

Ebby, who has found her storyline defined by loss, first in the murder of her brother and then in her canceled wedding, realizes at one point, “There is more to her personal story than hurt” (128). Despite feeling that others measure and identify her by her traumas, Ebby experiences a breakthrough when she travels to France and decides that her story will encompass more than just tragedy. Her refusal to be defined or limited by trauma dovetails with her new determination to persevere and hold onto the good things in life despite her losses, and this philosophy becomes the central message of the novel.

Several characters illustrate different facets of this theme. Ebby’s immediate sources of inspiration for moving forward despite tragedy are her parents. As the narrative states, “Perhaps the most important thing that Ebby had learned from her mom, and her dad, too, was this: People were wired to persevere. People were wired for hope. People might feel hurt, but they still liked to laugh. They might lose someone dear, but they still wanted to love” (93-94).