Jeanne Allen answers “What was the deal with Hugo and the...”

Charity asked this question about The Witch Elm:

What was the deal with Hugo and the genealogy? Did it have anything to do with the storyline other than to slow down an already mind-numbingly slow book? Or did it connect with the plot and I missed it?

Jeanne Allen I think it was meant to tie into the themes of identity and how authority figures treat the powerless that weave in and out the book. There’s talk abo…moreI think it was meant to tie into the themes of identity and how authority figures treat the powerless that weave in and out the book. There’s talk about how Hugo’s clients panic when DNA tests uncover something in their family history that doesn’t mesh with their idea of who they are just as the break-in and truths Toby uncovers about his past and his family make him question who he really is. The mystery they are tracking of the unwed mother who was forced to give up her child reinforces Susana’s views about the inequities of how authority figures (police, the law, doctors) treat the poor, the elderly, the unconnected. (less)

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