A fine line is drawn in this wonderful story between despair, loneliness, devastation, longing but also wonder, beauty, simplicity, intellect and hope. Demonstrated by ubiquitous and intense themes of abandonment, the most prevalent being that of the departure of our protagonist’s (Kya) mother and its crippling effect. This leads Kya down a path of trying to comprehend her acts, to conduct a near constant comparison between human actions and sentiment, and those displayed in nature. On the flip side, sheer fascination - or blind devotion as the story progresses- for the marvels surrounding Kya and the acceptance of a self-made family balances out what otherwise would be a gut-wrenching tale.