Tell us a little about the overarching theme of your work, and why you felt compelled to explore it. There are many interweaving themes within Since You’ve Been Gone; however, the major theme is that of resilience. Both Edie and Jermaine, as well as many other characters in the novel, demonstrate an incredible amount of resilience in the face of racism, poverty, domestic violence, and other forms of prejudice. It is a reminder of just how damaging and marginalizing assumptions can be. They often limit youth from reaching their full potential which is a tragedy for our entire society.