56 pages • 1-hour read
Sisters in the Wind
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Symbols & Motifs
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of graphic violence and illness or death.
Fire
Fire operates as the novel’s dominant structural and thematic motif, representing the inseparable forces of destruction and survival. The book’s first four parts are named after the stages of fire growth, framing Lucy’s journey as a progression from an “Incipient” personal fire of rage to a “Fully Developed” crisis that consumes her world before finally reaching “Decay.” This motif supports the theme of Navigating a World of Secrets and Lies, as fire is both a weapon used by Lucy and a force of violence directed at her by others. Her act of arson at Bridget’s storage unit is a desperate act retribution in the face of betrayal, punishing her stepmother’s greed and deception. Lucy’s use of fire is mirrored by the public violence of the diner explosion, a calculated act of terror meant to control her, demonstrating the moral ambiguity of this powerful element and its use.
While fire symbolizes destruction in the novel, it also represents the potential for warmth, community, and survival when properly understood and respected. Miss Lonnie, a survivor of fire herself, provides the essential teaching that helps Lucy reframe her relationship with this force: “Fire speaks to something chaotic inside us. It has the power to destroy, but if we respect and recognize the ways it keeps us warm and safe, we can coexist with the fire” (96). This wisdom contrasts the chaotic, destructive fires with the controlled, life-giving ones, like Miss Lonnie’s woodstove or the ceremonial fires tended by firekeepers. Lucy’s emotional journey is framed as her learning to coexist and harness her inner fire, transforming its destructive potential into a source of warmth and resilience found within the safety of her new community. The motif thus tracks her evolution from embodying destructive flame to finding sustainable warmth.
Ravens
The raven is a symbol of Indigenous identity, survival, and the spiritual connection between worlds. Its meaning is established early through Jamie’s company, Raven Air Associates: Jamie’s Anishinaabe name is “Gaagaagi Noodin,” which translates to Raven Air. The company’s mission to reconnect foster children with their tribal communities positions the raven as a direct counterforce to the theme of The System’s Betrayal of Vulnerable Children. The raven therefore represents the act of finding and guiding the lost, serving as a messenger of hope and a symbol of resilience in the face of systemic failure. Jamie’s work reflects the raven’s role in Anishinaabe culture as a creature of wisdom and creation, one that teaches people to embrace change and find the strength to survive. This initial association anchors the raven’s meaning in the protective, restorative power of cultural heritage and community, setting the stage for its evolving significance throughout the narrative.
The symbol is intertwined with Jamie’s personal identity and legacy. He explains to Lucy, “Gaagaagi Noodin means Raven Air. It’s my Spirit name” (163). This statement confirms that the raven is the embodiment of Jamie’s spiritual self, also adopted as his professional emblem and outward-facing persona; Jamie’s personification and enactment of the raven’s role reflect the significance of the Spirit name as deeply characteristic or deterministic of an individual’s personality and path in life. In these ways, the raven characterizes pride in identity and the integration of the inner and outer sense of self. When Jamie dies, he imagines transforming into a raven, an image of transcendence that suggests his spirit will continue its watchful and protective mission: “He leaps into a sky of cornflower blue. His raven wings glide upon air currents. He feels such weightlessness and contentment, along with infinite energy. As if he could soar forever. And so he does” (353). This transformation solidifies the raven as a symbol of eternal vigilance and the enduring connection between the living and the spirit world.
Jamie’s death therefore elevates this symbol, passing its spiritual weight and responsibility on to those who survive him, especially Lucy. By the novel’s conclusion, the raven has come to symbolize Lucy’s full embrace of her heritage, fulfilling the theme of Reclaiming Identity and Redefining Family. During her naming ceremony, she becomes Gaagaagi Noodin Kwe, or Raven Air Woman, formally inheriting Jamie’s spiritual mantle. This act signifies her transition from an isolated survivor to a fully integrated member of her community, ready to carry Jamie’s mission forward. In the end, Daunis gives Lucy his watch, telling her, “Wherever you are in the world, Raven Air Woman, you’ll always know the time back home” (364). By accepting the name, Lucy accepts the raven’s symbolic power, signifying that she has both found her family and stepped into her role as a protective, guiding force for the next generation.
Watches
Watches are a recurring symbol, signifying enduring connection, the passage of time, and the complex weight of legacy. This symbol is critical to understanding the themes of Reclaiming Identity and Family as well as Navigating a World of Secrets and Lies, as the timepieces connect characters to pasts that are both loving and fraught with deception. Lucy’s primary tether to her father is his Seiko watch, a treasured object that represents his devotion. He tells her, “See? It has your middle name on it: Dolce. Dolce Lucy. Sweet Lucy” (27). This inscription marks the watch as a deeply personal emblem of his love. Her desperate need to recover it after the diner explosion underscores its role as her most significant tangible link to her past. However, as she uncovers her father’s lies, the watch becomes a more complicated symbol, representing his love and the painful secrets he kept.
The meaning of the symbol evolves as Lucy’s understanding of family and identity shifts. Jamie’s elegant, dual-faced watch reflects his own complex identity and his connections to the different times and places in his life, mirroring Lucy’s own fractured journey. This symbolic arc concludes with the exchange of legacies at the novel’s conclusion. Lucy gives her father’s watch to her birth mother, Maggie, an act of releasing the past and acknowledging a more complete history: “My wrist has felt naked without my dad’s watch. I gave it to Maggie yesterday at my naming ceremony after she recognized it as a gift she had given my dad” (364). In turn, Daunis gives her Jamie’s watch. When Lucy notes, “I stare at it in my palm. The white gold watch with the black leather band. The dual time zones are set to Eastern Standard Time. Daunis changed the bottom clock to match,” this moment signifies Lucy’s acceptance of her new inheritance (363). She moves from a legacy defined by her father’s closely protective love to one of freedom, community, sacrifice, and the promise of a future where she will always have a place—and a time—to call her own.
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