I mean I let the characters tell their stories to me. Gypsy's and Woodrow's lives are very different. Because they have so much in common. Not only did they both lose a parent, but they are first cousins who have no siblings, and that in itself would draw them together. Hailed each other because they knew That always and always since time began Our being friends was part of God's plan.
Family is important in the novel and to most people in Appalachia.
Yes, family is important in this book. After the poverty in my Sweet Creek Holler and the dysfunctional family in Willow, I absolutely fell in love with Gypsy's and Woodrow's family. They grew on me so that I felt they were my family. So, the answer is yes, they did evolve from the characters. I think I felt a little longing for that closeness, which I never really had in my family, and perhaps that longing of mine is what made the family more lovable.