The loss of parents leads many of the characters to seek new relationships with each other for healing and self-actualization, revealing The Value of Friendship and chosen family. Maia remembers seeing Greece with her parents and wishes wistfully for “the happiness of being warm even at night and the freedom of the camp” (20). She therefore seeks new friendships with people like Finn and Miss Minton, who are adventurous like her parents used to be. Similarly, Clovis is motivated to reunite with his foster mother, whom he cherishes in his memory as an especially good cook. When he is given the chance to live at Westwood, one of his reasons for staying is to “bring my foster mother here to cook – she’s always wanted to work in a house like this” (189).

Finn’s relationship with Maia and their shared delight in animals and plants reminds him of his father’s delight in sharing in exploring the natural world. The death of Finn’s mother, which was caused by the racist policies of European doctors who refused to visit to treat her because she was Xanti, haunts him and motivates him to travel up the Amazon to reunite with her tribe.