Dust
Given that dust is in the title and shows up in pretty much every chapter, it's obviously pretty important to this book. You could even argue that it's kind of a character in the story, a sinister,...
Ma's Apple Trees
Billie Jo makes it pretty clear that she's an apple addict, and the apple trees Ma raises in their yard are responsible. We learn that she planted the trees before Billie Jo was born, so: that she...
Fire
"I hate fire" (82.1), Billie Jo declares—"Hate it." For reasons that should appear super obvious, fire is significantly tied to the trauma Billie Jo struggles with from the accident. So as fire s...
Rain
Billie Jo's seen fire and she's seen rain, but they represent different things in terms of how she identifies with her environment. Just as the apple trees symbolically reference Ma's life and lega...
Babies
When babies show up on the scene, get ready for them to trigger a lot of memories. Because of Ma and Franklin, babies carry a pungent sting for Billie Jo—they represent deep, and penetrating loss...
Daddy's Pond
Before her death, Ma suggests that Daddy dig a pond near the windmill to create a new water source. Daddy quickly shoots down this idea, but after Ma's death, we see him actually start putting the...
Music
Here's one we can all relate to regardless of when we're living: Music always seems to make things better. Out of the Dust is filled with chapters where people go to concerts, talent contests, and...