Whose Child is This?
It's a catchy title, isn't it? All smoky and mysterious, and the "bone" bit gives it a sinister air. But what does it mean? And who, exactly, is this daughter of smoke and bone?
Well, that second question is easier than the first. The daughter is either Madrigal or Karou, or Madrigal-as-Karou, since they're basically the same person. She's a daughter of smoke and bone because she's been resurrected—using smoke and bone.
The meaning of the title is a little more complicated. To figure that out, we turn to the appearance of the title phrase in the book's text. It crops up in the second-to-last chapter, as Madrigal awaits execution in her cell.
Here, Brimstone drops hints as to his plan for her resurrection and "[Madrigal] didn't understand, quite, but something was starting to take shape, out of magic and will. Smoke and bone" (59.95).
As we talked about in our analysis of "Hope and Wishes", we think that magic and will are two different forces. One comes from outside of you, and the other, from inside of you. So, when people use magic or make wishes, they're doing something that's hazy and unpredictable—like smoke.
But when you have the courage and the will to hope for a better future, you support yourself with something strong that comes from the inside—like bone. Perhaps we really do need both smoke and bone to survive.