Her journey is shaped by her First American heritage, the tribal casinos that populate the Upper Peninsula, and most importantly the waves of Gitchee Gumee (Lake Superior), which pull her away from the comfort of her bucolic life and eventually carry her to the highest corridors of political power.
The political lessons Evangeline learns morphing from her role as an environmental activist to a member of Congress are harsh ones, as she suffers painful losses during her journey, However, her political education from the campaign trail and her spiritual faith serves her well, as it prepares her to make the most consequential national political decision any member of Congress has ever had to make.