 The story addresses the limited opportunities and roles of women in early America, gender expression, and the interpretation of religion in everyday life.Sarah Waters, author of "Tipping the Velvet" and other historical novels with lesbian themes, has said that this book was an influence on her writing.She received the book from a girlfriend in 1988 at age 22 and was "struck by the lyricism and economy of it, by its gentle humour, and by its sexiness."