Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

The Book Eaters is predominantly a story about the struggle of mothers at various stages in their journey. In the beginning, Devon is brought up without a mother, and she has no lived experience that prepares her for being a mother herself. Notably, many of the fairy tales she’s fed as a child—such as versions of Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, and Cinderella—are devoid of mothers. Throughout the novel, Devon expresses curiosity about her birth mother, but the woman remains a distant, mythic figure.

As soon as Devon comes of age, she is forced into an arranged utilitarian marriage for the purpose of bearing children. Once she experiences the bond that arises after childbirth, she begins her journey of questioning the lessons she was raised with. Devon’s bond with Salem is an intense, visceral kind of love that her family and upbringing did not prepare her for, one that becomes all-consuming. Her community is able to use this bond to manipulate her and force her to fulfill her duty as a female book eater.