Family Is There for One Another

One of the major themes in Maud’s Line is that of family being there for one another. At the beginning of the book, Maud shares her house with her father and brother on her mother’s allotment land. Their home is surrounded by several extended family members on the neighboring allotment lands. Their family is close knit and sticks together through some very difficult situations.

As the novel begins, Mustard is shown to be a father who loves his children, but he has some serious flaws. He is frequently drunk and enjoys fighting. He has very little work ethic. He is hot-tempered, so Maud and Lovely have learned to be careful of their father’s moods. In spite of all his flaws, Maud respects him as her father and takes care of him. On one occasion, he stumbles in late...