Identity Connected to Place
Much of Hoffman's internal struggle throughout her life, as depicted in her memoir, relates to a struggle for identity. Because she had rooted herself so firmly in her home country, Poland, she experiences intense grief upon moving to Canada. Her family tries to adapt to this new way of life, but the physical distance leaves Hoffman confused. She feels as if she herself is lost, whoever she used to be as a child. Only after moving to Houston in her twenties and seeing a therapist does Hoffman realize the origin of her confusion. She has so closely intertwined her identity with a physical location that she forgot who she -- Eva -- was. This breakthrough allows her to more beneficially synthesize experiences into who she is today.
Family
Because of their emigration, Hoffman's family is very close. Although her parents do their best, they struggle with the move as well. They are much more staunchly rooted in the Old World, so the change is dramatic for them. Still, with love and patience the sisters benefit from their parents' relentless devotion to the family, a value which they adopt in their own lives consequently. Even when she moves to the U.S., Hoffman places her family on the pinnacle. Her achievements at Harvard mean all that much more in consequence of what her parents sacrificed for her and her sister.
Isolation
Upon arriving in Canada, Hoffman is homesick. She misses her community, the culture, the food, etc. In all the years she lives in Canada she never quite manages to feel at home. This leaves Hoffman as an outsider, internally isolated from the world around her because her heart is still in Poland. Unfortunately her inability to adapt to the new cultures, even years later, is what keeps Hoffman isolated, not any projection of the people around her. The entire process is largely internal, but this harkens back to her identification with Poland, the physical place. By the time she reaches Houston, Hoffman is largely consumed by her feelings of isolation. She works through the origins of these emotions with a therapist and starts reaching out to a community of friends which greatly improves the situation, providing her with a renewed sense of belonging and acceptance.
