Like most eighteen year olds, she is facing important decisions about her future but lacks the independence and self-knowledge to choose. However, Ruby has come to a time in her life where she must leave her childish moods and insecurities behind and take a giant leap into a fuller future. Ruby sets out on a journey to discover her family history and on the way she discovers herself and her independence. Hesitant to face her future, she begins trekking back into the past and taking up old habits. These writings of MacDonald intertwine with the experiences of teenagers in society today.
All adolescents question their beliefs and their identity.
Regardless, it is Ruby s choice to challenge what she knows, rather than simply questioning it, that makes this story. An eighteen year old peering back on the person they were six years ago, would see an entirely different person, and it is as if they have destroyed the person they used to be. It can be traumatic. However, like Ruby, they gradually come to a realisation of the person that has taken the place of their old self and may even come to recognise traits from influential people in their life. From examining such a small section of the book, a reader can come away with many deep reflections on their adolescent life.