Holeman's young adult novels pulse with vivid character exploration, each tale unraveling a protagonist's journey to carve out her niche in the world. In Raspberry House Blues, Poppy embarks on a poignant quest for identity, driven by a deep longing to unearth her birth mother. This recurring motif of the missing mother weaves through many of Holeman's works, underscoring her belief in the quintessential role a maternal figure plays in shaping a young life. Mothers dominate the narrative landscape of Raspberry House Blues, yet Poppy's biological mother remains an elusive presence, never stepping into the story's spotlight.

Instead, Poppy conjures her mother's likeness through a cherished creation—her "M" book. This scrapbook brims with images of actresses and models, each chosen for their imagined resemblance to the mother Poppy envisions. Denise, the woman who, alongside Eric, adopted Poppy and has single-handedly nurtured her for nine years, graces the novel's opening but soon departs for a holiday, surfacing only through one-sided phone conversations and Poppy's growing recollections.

Completing the quartet of maternal figures is Becca Jell, an aging actress who embodies Poppy's dream of her birth mother, and Calypso, Poppy's free-spirited hippie stepmother. Together, these figures weave a complex tapestry of motherhood that anchors Poppy's emotional odyssey.