You could argue that family is pretty much the biggest theme in How I Live Now, since the whole book is pretty much about one extended family unit. From Daisy's evil stepmother and her gestating devil-spawn to her complacent father, Daisy's less-than-stellar family is the reason for her move to England. But waiting for her in England is a new family, one she's never met but one that accepts her as she is, comprised of her dead mom's sister and her children. When the war threatens to tear this new family apart, Daisy finally learns what family really means.
Questions About Family
- How does Daisy's view of family shift throughout the book? Does her definition of appropriate or normal familial relationships change at all? Explain, please.
- Is it Edmond or Piper who truly causes Daisy's English family to imprint on her the way it does? If her relationships were different with either of them, would it have changed the family dynamic?
- What do you think would have happened if the cousins had been divided differently, and Daisy was paired with Edmond or Isaac during the war instead of Piper? How would that have altered the family dynamic?
Chew on This
If it weren't for the war, the separation, and the struggle to survive, Daisy's connection with her cousins and their life in England may not have had the same intensity.
If Daisy had a healthy, supportive family life before moving to England, she never would have fallen for Edmond.