Growing up
This novel is often seen as a coming-of age- story, centering around the character of Josh. At the beginning of the text he struggles to adjust to his new life, but he soon finds his feet. Through the novel we see Josh face problems and challenges which he successfully overcomes. His mother struggles with the move, and as a result she begins drinking excessively. While drunk she even fires her staff at the house. Seeing this, Josh must act maturely, and he convinces the staff to return to them. He also arranges for his mother to see a psychiatrist. This level of maturity suggests that Josh has grown up considerably since the beginning of the novel.
When Josh hears the news of his father's death, he feels that his childhood has ended. The death of his father represents the fact that he must grow up, take responsibility and look after his mother and support her through her mental health problems.
Racism
Josh’s mother is depicted as being racist in the text. She is from Alabama and is described as being “wrapped up in tissue paper like a Wedgwood egg cup.” She does not have experience of other cultures, and when she moves to New Mexico she is intolerant. She describes the locals of Sagrado as being "tacky, dusty little Westerners." Due to her intolerant and racist attitudes she keeps mostly to herself and does not attempt to integrate into the community. As a result, she becomes isolated and depressed. Josh, on the other hand, fully embraces the local culture, and as a result he manages to adjust much better.
War
The novel is set during World War II, a time of great upheaval and social change. Josh's story shows how much people's lives changed during World War II, giving a personal account of this experience. As such, we might see Josh's relocation to New Mexico, and his struggle to adjust as a metaphor for the wider upheaval and social change experienced by society during World War II.
This novel also chronicles how much World War II changed the New Mexico area. When the U.S entered the war, New Mexico became involved in the war effort, while before the war they were relatively independent. This meant they were influenced more by the modern world, ultimately resulting in social and cultural change.
Home
This novel is all about relocating from somewhere that is familiar, to somewhere that is unfamiliar. This is something that Josh and his mother experience in the novel, but both characters react to it differently. Josh’s mother is incredibly homesick and misses the familiarity of Alabama. She misses the food, the people and the culture and dwells on this rather than embracing the change and making the best of it. When her friend Jimbob Buel visits, she feels even worse as he reminds her of home. Josh, on the other hand, fully embraces this new community. He makes friends, learns about people’s stories and tries to understand their culture. As a result, he has a great time, and forges lifelong relationships.
