The Big Purpose

As crystallized in frequent references to the "Big Purpose," the girls at the heart of the novel are attempting to find their place in the world, and are learning what it's like to go from childhood to adulthood. In the most easily graspable manifestation of this, the book covers the years in which the girls are experiencing puberty and are physically transforming into adults.

But beyond puberty, the girls end the novel having grown up and attained a deeper appreciation for the fragile and fleeting nature of life, and how one must make the most out of a few precious moments. By becoming such good and permanent friends, the girls succeed in seizing the day and making the most of their time together. This notion is encapsulated in the narrator's thirteenth birthday present, a blue picture frame containing a photograph of all the girls together and...