Protect her.
Two simple words written on a piece of paper for her change Hannah’s life forever. Expecting her husband to come back home from work, she opens up the door to a strange girl handing her this note. What Hannah’s doesn’t realize is that it is the last thing she will hear from her husband, and those words hide a greater truth involving who her husband actually is.
Watching my grandfather work taught me that not everything was fluid. There were certain things you hit from different angles, but you never gave up on. You did the work that was needed, wherever that work took you.
Hannah’s greatest influence and the most important person in her life was her grandfather. She took on the job of carving wood because of him. She describes how she loved to see him work, especially when he had to start a piece over because it wasn’t going in the direction he intended. It is important information, and this memory of her grandfather not only shaped Hannah as a person, but shapes her decisions moving forward regarding the difficult situation she finds herself in.
There is nothing I wouldn’t do for my daughter.
The novel is intertwined with memories of important moments Hannah lived through with Owen. One of those moments Hannah remembers is when she asked him what defines him. His answer of devotion to protecting his daughter is the main theme of the novel, namely, the theme of parental sacrifice and love.
