This Tender Land

The novel’s title comes from a conversation between Jack and Odie in which Jack describes the land as “beautiful” and “tender,” part of a great whole. “Land,” in this sense, refers to much more than soil. Instead, it becomes a metonymical representation of nature as a whole. Odie and his companions’ journey takes them through a variety of landscapes, including a special place where Emmy and Odie witness a field light up with fireflies, which they return to in the Epilogue. Odie later learns that Sister Eve spends time each day in quiet, natural surroundings to meditate. For her, Odie, and others, the land is precious and sacred. It comes as no surprise that one of the most damning crimes committed against Mose’s people was the theft of their land.

Odie describes numerous situations and outcomes as miracles. Some, such as a sea of fireflies lighting up a field and the sharing of food among those who are poor, are merely impressive, rather than inherently miraculous. Others, such as Jack, Albert, and Julia’s surviving life-threatening injuries, are closer to traditional uses of the term. Miracles are associated with the question of belief, as when Maybeth counsels Odie, “When you don’t have anything else to believe in, that’s when you need to believe in miracles” (296). The relationship between faith, miracles, and reality is further blurred within the context of storytelling, given the narrator’s belief that “there is nothing our hearts can imagine that is not so” (444).

Music frequently appears in the text as a kind of language that brings people together on an emotional level. Odie first sees past Jack’s rough exterior when he is moved by Odie’s music. Sister Eve’s singing guides Odie and his companions to discover her crusade. Odie later follows the sound of music to meet the Schofields. Odie’s refusal to play music at Tru’s party signals his resentment. On numerous other occasions, Odie uses music to console or to celebrate. Taken together, the novel’s musical encounters suggest the existence of a shared and common human nature that should provide reason enough for people to respect one another.