In Garner County, flowers are used to communicate nonverbally. How are flowers used to send secret messages throughout The Grace Year? Why would these messages have to be communicated symbolically rather than verbally?

Throughout the novel, Tierney compares the girls to animals. How does this tie into the themes of wild, sadistic behavior and a break from civilization?

According to Tierney, “there’s nothing more dangerous than a woman who speaks her mind” in the county (232). However, she also states that “[t]he only thing worse than being old in Garner County is being barren” (8). What do these things have in common, and why are they dangerous to women?