The novel’s protagonist, Emily, prefers and better understands relationships built on transactions rather than personal connection. Transactional relationships ensure that Emily immediately receives equal benefits in return for what she offers. This is valuable to her not only because of her role in the scientific community but also because of her social awkwardness. She knows herself to misunderstand social cues and fumble conversations, and so she prefers the safety of solitude. Unconditional relationships require trust and patience that mutual benefits may come in the long-term. These relationships require trial and error as both parties navigate how to build a long-lasting partnership. Transactional relationships, on the other hand, are straightforward and fleeting, and make the most sense to Emily in terms of her scientific exploration and study needs. 

Emily prefers the Folk over other humans because she “appreciate[s] blunt people” as it “takes the guesswork out of conversations, and as someone who is terrible at guesswork and always putting her feet wrong, this is invaluable” (34). Emily’s lack of experience in connecting with people shows when she immediately offends the village headwoman. Unlike Wendell, she only researched the local fae (extensively) but didn’t consider the need to understand the local human customs before starting her research.