Again we're treated to an historical situation that comes across as authentic, even when little tidbits are blowing the whole mood out of the water. For instance, author Kage Baker this time has given us what is obviously not vernacular of the time. Much of the dialogue occurs in the language of the Chumash, and yet we read it very much like it's taking place in 20th Century America. This proves to be a little bit disorienting, and yet amusing at the same time. As funny as this tale can be, there is a seriousness about the proceedings as well.
Faith is a recurring theme.
Let me tell you a quick anecdote, to illustrate my point, to some degree. Somebody outside a nearby window flopped a giant Easter Bunny head against the glass. The kids, seeing this, started howling and screaming in total fear, like it was the worst thing they'd ever encountered. The children, you see, had apparently been fine with the metaphor of the Easter Bunny, but when faced with the physical existence of such an entity, the situation was suddenly much different. Well, Sky Coyote discusses this phenomenon, by presenting a physical manifestation of a god to his own believers.