Characters
the main character in the story who travels from Kentucky to Tucson with many different stops. She gets her new name from the stop where her car runs out of gas. Her chapters are written in first person and continue throughout the entire book.
who is Taylor/Missy?
the tire shop where Mattie and eventually Taylor work. Taylor saw an ad for this shop while traveling to Tucson.
what is Jesus is Lord Tires
this single-word theme is shown through the relationships between Taylor and many other characters. Particularly Lou Ann, Turtle, Mattie, and of course, her mother.
What is family?
Lou Ann and Angel are what, after the second chapter of the story
What is divorced?
Who are Taylor and Lou Ann?
the Cherokee child that is given to Taylor Greer who is nonverbal for a portion of the story. Once she does begin to talk, she only says the names of different plants, mainly vegetables. This character was given her name after she would hold onto anything Taylor would give her.
who is Turtle?
the county where Taylor, formally known as Missy, is from.
What is Pittman County, Kentucky?
Taylor is searching for a sense of this by traveling away from home and across the country. this is also something Lou Ann struggles with due to Angel and her family.
What is belonging?
What Taylor gets after moving to Tucson. First with a diner then with a tire shop.
What is a job?
two children that Esperanza loves deeply, one of which is her own child. the other is Taylor's, but she bonds with her as she lost her own child
Who are Ismene and Turtle?
the woman who lives in Tucson and is married with a child on the way. Her chapters are written in the third person and they end after her and Taylor meet.
who is Lou Ann?
the town where Taylor ends up after leaving home. This is also the place the second temporary narrator lives.
What is Tucson, Arizona?
this theme plays an important role in this story as it is focused on the main characters, who are women, and are struggling but living through unexpected times and their journey to be the best moms they could be.
What is womanhood?
this is something that Taylor is irrational about, showing in her terror when faced with a tire.
What is fear?
these two characters share a bond due to one of them losing their child, while the other is a child. They fill a role for each other that was needed to be happy and engaged.
Who are Esperanza and Turtle?
the woman who owns/works at Jesus is Lord Tires and helps Taylor after her car breaks down in Tucson. Taylor and this character become good friends and ends up giving Taylor lots of advice.
who is Mattie?
the area of a state where Taylor was given Turtle. When Taylor is there she sends a postcard to her mother telling her that she had "found her head rights". Taylor's mother had told her that they had enough blood of this Native American tribe to live on this land if things ever go south.
What is the Cherokee Nation?
this is something many characters throughout the book experience, Estevan and Esperanza with their home country and their child and Lou Ann with her husband.
What is loss?
the event that lead Taylor to come into possession of Turtle after her mother had died.
What is abandonment?
two strong women who have impacted Taylor's life in a positive way through their advice and experience.
Who are Mattie and Taylor's mom?
the Guatemalan couple who came to the United States for safety as they were not safe in their home. Their child, Ismene, was taken from them for leverage and they ended up in Oklahoma under fake names to live out the rest of their life.
who are Estevan and Esperanza?
the state where Taylor is given Turtle and where she and Turtle travel to with Esperanza and Estevan. Taylor offers to take the couple after many other plans of safety fall through.
What is Oklahoma?
this is something practically every character has to try to do throughout the struggles of their life. Taylor when she decides to travel across the country, Lou Ann with her family and her husband, Esperanza and Estevan and their country and child, and many more.
What is survival?
something that appears strongly in Lou Ann and Taylor. Is shown in Lou Ann's through the insistence of her family, especially her grandma, while it's shown in Taylor through the love for her mom and the homesickness.
What is tradition?
these characters both lived with Lou Ann, but one treated her better than the other. The first character was married to Lou Ann, while the other meets her after Lou Ann puts out an ad for a roommate.
Who are Angel and Taylor?