Neither Vera Cleaver nor her husband Bill Cleaver grew up in Appalachia; Vera was raised in South Dakota, while Bill grew up predominantly in British Columbia. Both highly valued education throughout their youth, spending a majority of their time in public libraries. This emphasis placed on knowledge is evidenced in the novel’s protagonist, Mary Call, who feels great disdain for ignorance and a hunger for education.

The authors often wrote female protagonists who are competent, scornful of gendered expectations, and witty. These narrators face challenges that they inevitably overcome with their resourcefulness. They navigate poverty with dignity and gusto, often displaying a connection and reverence for the land, their family, and faith. The authors balance portraying the reality of poverty alongside happy, fairy-tale endings. This has also raised the criticism that Where the Lilies Bloom perpetuates the romanticized narrative of a strong Appalachian woman defeating the forces of poverty, ignorance, and violence through her clever resourcefulness, especially by authors who are not from the region.

Although the Cleavers were not personally familiar with Appalachian life, they carried out extensive research on the cultural and social

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