Condé will always be a writer that I return to. her characters are always complex, at times unreliable yet relatable, with vulnerabilities and trauma. she also always takes them from one place to the next in search of their history or that of their family. here Marie-Noelle searches for the truth of her paternal parentage, going through many bouts of frustration and depression as a result and we are carried with her  as she tries to find out who she is.

this is a story of a woman searching for answers through lies and memory, never getting enough of the story to really piece together the story of how she came to be. she is also dealing with a parent who is emotionally distant and entirely unavailable as a mother. Interwoven is her relationships that keep her anchored, help her to grow as well as those that were harmful and empty.

condé will always give us philosophical ideas on race, identity, the Caribbean, specifically Guadeloupe, and Africa in her works. the many ways in whichbtheir history and cultures intertwine and are separate as well as how they interact with the colonial powers. Literature and thought also make appearances and play a role in our character's life.