... she returns because she wants the old quilts her grandma, who ironically shares the same name as her, made. The older daughter sees the quilts as a link between her and the larger African American past. She correctly considers them as a part of a fleeting inheritance but she fails to realize her own alienation from the rich tradition. In her attempt to make a statement, she has ironically adopted the white man's approach at preserving heritage, which involves hanging the quilts rather than using them (108). Dee's attempts are perceived as phony. She accuses her family of not appreciating their heritage, when she herself tries so hard to sever ties with the truth. Maggie, the younger sister, approaches her heritage in a more subtle and maybe even ignorant way. She might lack Dee's education and worldliness, but in contrast she knows everything there is to know about quilting, family ...

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