Upon reflection of his boyhood years from the perspective of an adult, much later in his life, David Hayden, ponders in Montana 1948 what it was to be male in that wide sky country during the post war years. The men dominated, and there were destructive patterns of power and secrecy within the Hayden family. Frank, David's uncle, was a respected doctor who molested Indian women, and his father, David's grandfather, thought that was fine because Frank had always had that specialized appetite. This same grandfather favored Frank because he was a war hero and the other son, David's father, accepted second fiddle position, the town sheriff, which was handed down to him by the domineering father. The archetype of the father includes strength, leadership, and taking care of things within the family, but in this novel Watson shows the dark underside of life in remote areas, when too much isolation can lead to aberration and people covering up for each other.
The theme of the story seems to be that there sometimes is an excruciating choice between family and true justice. This family seems to want it both ways, and from the eyes of young David, it is disturbing and perplexing as he is forming his own manhood. It is wrong that Frank molests Indian women. It is wrong that he had a part in the death of Marie Little Soldier. It is right that he be punished. But is it right that he is thrown into the family basement, making it a family sentence instead of a public matter of law? The boy observes his father's extreme anguish as the events unfold, and ultimately, after Frank's suicide, right there among the wasted canned goods, Wes packs up the family and moves them away from all this sordidness. The theme of family pride is strong, along with struggles with guilt for each other's behavior. David finally realizes that "even then I knew we were not responsible for the circumstances of our birth or the sins of our fathers" (Watson 142). <...