A Yellow Raft in Blue Water tells the stories of three Native American women over three generations. Ida, her daughter Christine, and her daughter Rayona form the core of the book's narrative about female relationships and the changing of cultural identity over time. Reconciliation is a prominent theme, and each of the three women's stories, told in reverse chronological order, deals with the central characters overcoming conflict within the family and growing closer.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is a blend of autobiography and reference manual; it discusses the childhood of the author and his intellectual development as a writer, but also offers chapters on grammar, structure, characterization, and more for would-be authors. The book examines what goes into the making of a novel, and explains concepts like subtext, theme, and the necessity of avoiding too many adjectives. Major themes include imagination, learning, and childhood.
Frankenstein is presented as a frame tale, told by Captain Walton while on an expedition to the North Pole, where he finds Frankenstein. Frankenstein is a scientist who created a monstrous human-like Creature. The Creature tried to explain his murders to Frankenstein, claiming that people rejected and feared him, begging Frankenstein to make him a mate. Frankenstein first agrees then destroys the mate. The enraged Creature kills Frankenstein's wife, fleeing to the North Pole. After Frankenstein dies, Walton sees the Creature mourning as he floats away on a raft.