Hunting Wildflowers

The rich history that is found in the letters belies a time when educated writing was not part of every day. The letters from Lillian are written in the voice of a woman who has little formal education. The accuracy of the letters gives the reader a glimpse into life of a single woman living in the time of the Great Depression and her need for someone to care for her in a rural area of Ohio.

Detailed records of growing seasons and weather patterns can be gleaned from the comments Lillian makes to Gus in the letters. Snow in March, melons in October, all pieces of a time before the climate began to change. The development of the undercurrent that leads Zelda to make brash statements about Lillian's true motives, leave the reader with the same curiosity as Dee has about the woman.

Dee's growing sympathy which ultimately turns into empathy for Lillian is intertwined in her own story with Miles. She sees the unfolding of Lillian's needs as like her own and it spurs her to take action in her own life, to stand on her own two feet and make a statement of independence to Miles.