A House With Good Bones

Sam is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. She is smart and sarcastic, with awkward social skills. She describes herself as fat, a fact that she is comfortable with despite societal judgments. She is an archaeoentomologist who studies insects within the context of archaeological digs, and she relies on science and reason to make sense of the world. In this way, she embodies the theme of Science Versus Magic. She struggles to accept the strange things that happen at Gran Mae’s house, insisting on a scientific explanation despite strong evidence to the contrary. Over the course of the novel, however, she becomes more open-minded and grows to accept that some things are beyond rational explanation.

She has complex feelings about Gran Mae’s memory and returning to her house, but Sam loves her mother and is fiercely loyal to her family. Gran Mae’s anti-fat bias and emotional abuse color Sam’s memories of her. These behaviors continue after Gran Mae’s death, with her ghost whispering insults at Sam. The theme of Family Lineage and Trauma centers on Sam’s relationship with her mother and grandmother.