“Everything about who we were is gone—our names, our pictures, our old clothes and old lives. All that we have is our souls. If a soul is the way you feel deep inside yourself about a thing, the way you love it, the way it stops your breath, then mine is still in Colorado.”

Early on, Toswiah Green reflects on how the only thing that cannot be taken away from a person is their soul. This quote points to the theme of The Challenge of Navigating a New Identity, as Toswiah mourns the loss of material possessions, the only home she’s ever known, and her personal history. However, the soul remaining unchanged despite being stripped of everything else indicates that, beyond one’s identity, there is something essential to each person that truly is unchangeable. This comes through in the different ways the Greens respond to their new circumstances, with each response illustrating their personalities.

“Mama […] believes God sent His Witnesses to our door that morning for a reason. He knew I’d need them, she says. Mama’s wrapped her arms around God’s legs, Anna says. I guess she figures He’ll drag her to a better place.”

Shirley Green copes with the family’s move by throwing herself into religion. Cameron (Anna) describes her mother’s clinging to faith as a way for her to avoid despair. The faith and community Shirley finds with the Jehovah’s Witnesses allow her to survive, as contrasted with the depressed Jonathan. This speaks to the theme of The Role of Community in Coping with Trauma. Shirley’s response also speaks to her personality—having been a teacher all her life, she needs something meaningful to fill the void left by the loss of her vocation.