The youthful characters in Shelterwood are resilient and creative problem-solvers who find ways to survive even in the face of difficult circumstances. The novel celebrates the tenacity and strength of children by exploring their responses to adversity, and this theme is apparent in both timelines, for Olive’s group of children and her future grandchildren, Sydney and Braden, must work together to overcome the exploitative actions of the adults in their lives. Thus, while the novel celebrates the resilience of these young characters, the author also mourns the fact that children are sometimes forced to withstand danger and adversity on their own. 

In the 1990 timeline, 12-year-old Sydney is faced with many challenging circumstances, given that her grandmother (an elderly Olive) and her mother, Jade, disappear unexpectedly one night, while Braden, her teenage brother, leaves shortly afterward. Sydney is thrust into an indifferent form of foster care at Mrs. Wambles’s house, an unpleasant place that carries an air of disorder and neglect. Mrs. Wambles is dismissive of Sydney and her brother and is unconcerned about their safety. Toward the end of the novel, Sydney’s situation worsens when Alton Parker seizes her from Mrs. Wambles’s home and attempts to lock her in a room until she reveals details about her brother’s whereabouts.