There are several crucial relationships between mothers and daughters in the novel that showcase different ways of mothering. While Mia and Pearl are bonded by their transient lifestyle (to the point where Pearl’s character arc in the novel is been to individuate), other mother-daughter pairs have more strained relationships. For instance, Mrs. Richardson’s antagonistic relationship with Izzy comes from her projections of fear of chaos and disorder, which her daughter has represented to her since her unsteady premature birth.

These different relationships between mother and daughter influence each character’s sentiments about the right to motherhood that is at the center of the Mirabelle/May Ling custody case. While Mia actively intervenes on behalf of Bebe, Mrs. Richardson takes the side of the McCulloughs, who adopted Mirabelle/May Ling. Mia’s sympathy for Bebe comes from an understanding of the difficult decisions one has to make as a new mother with little means. She feels Bebe is the rightful mother, as she gave birth to her own child and had a momentary setback due to circumstances beyond her control. However, Mrs. Richardson has a more simplified outlook in which she believes that the differences between the McCulloughs and Bebe are that “[o]ne followed the rules, and one had not” (269).