The Seed Keeper

Though Gaby is Rosalie’s best friend, her appearances and conversations with Rosalie are often fleeting except for the scene outside Aunt Vera’s house as teenagers. The reason for this suits Gaby’s main trait, her “high energy, the way she always needed to keep moving” (354). As a teenager, this trait gives her a short attention span and a low threshold for boredom, so she is not a good student. Gaby has a goal, however, to become a lawyer to take on important causes in her community, such as protecting waterways and helping Indigenous children who have been removed from their homes. The author sets the reader up for disappointment with Gaby when she is arrested in a drug raid and gets pregnant. However, Gaby subverts stereotypes and uses the birth of her son as a turning point to focus on her goals, speaking to the strength of her character.

She is a foil for Rosalie: stylish where Rosalie is “a mess,” outspoken and fiery where Rosalie is calm and withdrawn, engaged in a Dakhóta community whereas Rosalie is on her own. She is the “mouth” part of their friendship. Later in the story, Gaby makes a large career shift to be more present for her son. She does this after imagining what Rosalie would do, as Rosalie would not take family for granted after being orphaned at age 12. Gaby still has a fire within her to do big things for her community, but she learns to attend to her family first.

The first image of John is at the grocery store when he gives Rosalie a quarter for bread. He is around 10 years older than her but about the same height. He wears a John Deere cap and “looked strong, with broad, hay-baling shoulders and ropy forearms—a man used to working with his hands” (54). Rosalie is subtly attracted to him physically, but she is also drawn to his kindness, not only in giving her the money but in not making a show of her poverty. He, too, is quiet and observant, something which may remind Rosalie of her father, as do his reddened eyes from drinking.

John’s character arc brings him closer to Rosalie, as they are two lonely people who have found a safe place to land. They are closest during her pregnancy, but they grow apart over issues of who will have the most influence on their son. John appreciates Rosalie’s culture when it leads to her starting a garden to feed their family, but when they interact with the broader community, he can no longer ignore the violent history and the “dormant hostility” directed at his son (185). He wants Tommy to be “less Indian” to get along.

Getting along is John’s consistent motivation. He starts the story as an outsider, but one who does not like to ruffle feathers. Once he becomes more successful and respected, he wants to be seen—and for his son to be seen—as an insider. What goes along with that is ignoring the painful past, including anything related to the Dakhóta people. He worries about the possible effects of signing on with Mangenta, but as long as there is someone else to tell him it’s okay (his son), he does so and turns a blind eye to the consequences.