Because Kingsolver's women are, for the most part, single, men are not prominent characters in the novel. The attitude of the women toward men is not negative or antagonistic; it is indifferent. Taylor doesn't feel as though she suffered because she grew up without her father. In fact, as she grew up, she realized that there was more to life than facing a future "married to a tobacco farmer." Lou Ann's husband left her, and it didn't seem to matter that he wasn't around any longer. His presence had not been significant enough to miss. This prevailing attitude of the women toward men is expressed in the Valentine's Day card Taylor sends her mother. On the outside, the card reads, "Here's hoping you'll soon have something big and strong around the house to open those tight jar lids." On the inside is a picture of a pipe wrench.
The women quickly learn the benefits of knowing their neighbors and developing a community. Because American society is a mobile society, traditional communities, in which everyone knows and cares about everyone else, are disappearing. By creating a community for her women in the novel, Kingsolver is able to alert her readers to the importance of community and the contribution that it makes to the life of each and every member.
