The story is a daughter leaving home. Too young to her parents and to confining to the daughter.
I refer you to the abortion issues raised in the next post, regarding Oklahoma, and I pose this question.
What parent, particularly what father, would ever and I mean ever ever ever, deny his daughter what is best for her. Not the state. Not the "people have spoken" but for her. I personally would walk through hell barefoot for my daughter if it was asked by her. My daughter in law the same. My granddaughters...well you would have to kill me with fire and acid before I let anything on earth befall them.
The Tender Land is a simplier time perhaps when social stuff was swept well under a convenient rug. The messge, however is thatkids are yours and what is best for them trumps your life, my life, any parental life.