Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses mental illness, domestic violence, food insecurity, and child hunger.

“She was tired. She’d had to stay awake and read maps, to find roads without tolls. She’d been up since three in the morning. But Dicey couldn’t go to sleep. She gnawed away at what was bothering her.”

Maps are a significant symbol throughout the novel, representing the characters’ internal journey of self-discovery. Voigt juxtaposes Dicey’s navigation for Liza alongside her consideration of her emotional distress while waiting for Liza to return.

“[W]hat could they do? Ask for help, probably from a policeman. (Would he put them in homes or orphanages? Wouldn’t that be just what the police or some social worker would do?)”

The Tillermans carry a pre-established distrust for authority figures and societal structures meant to protect them. While the reason for the Tillermans’ skepticism about law enforcement’s ability to protect them adequately is not revealed, their distrust represents a genuine fear often held by people from marginalized communities.

“At the phone, she took out the directory to look up bus companies in the yellow pages. She ran her finger down the names, selected one that sounded local and reached into her pocket for change.”

This scene highlights the narrative’s late 1970s setting. Dicey travels to a phone booth equipped with a phone book. She must call the bus station to discover the cost of transportation and the daily schedule.