This novel is an attempt to reconcile religion to the hopelessness of coal-mining towns in Eastern Kentucky, given the state's overwhelming religious majority. The characters are each depictions of hopelessness in one way or another. Look at Ruth. Instead of seeing her husband as a person, and instead of urging him to follow his dreams, she says that men are all the same, all trying to use her as a servant. Then when she becomes a maid servant for real, slowly, she begins losing faith. It's as if the universe intentionally formulated her own personal hell for her to be tested.
That's not exactly the case, though, as Andrew could explain no doubt. Not only was Ruth's approach of religion an act of desperation, she also didn't maintain her integrity, instead casting off all responsibilities and wait for a miracle, so to speak. Meanwhile, her overly religious opinions made Andrew feel unaccepted as a homosexual, and ultimately, Ruth is the one who hands him the gun. So how good is her religion after all?
The novel shows how difficult life can be for women, especially in grave circumstances, and more so in conservative communities, where religion can be used as a pain-killer for the daily difficulties of life—both emotionally and physically. The novel could be called an exposé of desperation.
