Tar Beach deals with some tough themes—racism, parental abandonment, financial hardship—so it's important that the story ends on a positive note: Cassie and her brother flying "among the stars." (24)
That sounds hopeful, right? Right. Still, there are a lot of big questions left unanswered. Does Daddy ever come home to the Lightfoots? Does the union ever let him join? We just don't know.