Taffa, born on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation and raised in New Mexico, endured both discrimination from white people for her indigenous background but also, at times, felt like she wasn't "Native" enough.

Taffa stated that "tender" would complicate and offset "whiskey," thus serving as a means to call attention to, deconstruct, and ultimately supplant indigenous stereotypes.

I could only share my family’s trauma if I told it in context, reminding readers that my elders struggled, not because of a moral failure on their part, but because of societal and governmental pressures.

"[9] A briefly noted review in the New Yorker similarly stated that "In her account, Taffa regards the broad tapestry of history and picks at its smallest threads: individual choices shaped by violent social forces, and by the sometimes erratic powers of love.

[11] Time called the book one of the 100 must-reads of 2024, stating "With humor and heart, she traces her complicated adolescence, weaving in Native American history that sheds a light on the injustices Indigenous people have faced in both the past and the present.