Themes

 When Taylor first leaves her home in Kentucky, she is barely twenty years old. She chugged through high school and upon graduation took a job at the local hospital counting red blood cells. The biggest worry up until that point in Taylor’s life was avoiding pregnancy. Then she decides to buy a beat-up, windowless, 1955 Volkswagen beetle and drive across the country, just hoping to “get away.” It’s her first time leaving home and being away from her mother, but Taylor’s fierce attitude and sense of humor lead her through the surprises and hardships of the journey. She is forced to learn the responsibilities of motherhood, to leave behind her naïve adolescent thoughts and become a woman. Taylor does express doubts about her abilities, but she is surrounded by strong women – Lou Ann, Mattie, Esperanza, Mrs. Parsons – who all mentor her and encourage her. And although she finds herself nearly 1500 miles from home, she remains close to her mother Alice. They talk on the phone; Taylor says how much she misses her while Alice tells her daughter to always be her best. They have a warm and supportive relationship. Alice encourages Taylor in her transition into adulthood and Taylor accepts her mother’s own ventures as she starts dating again, years after her husband abandoned them. They grow apart, so they can grow stronger individually.
 * Growing up and Friendship **