All 7 Uses of

however
in
A Thousand Acres

However much these acres looked like a gift of nature, or of God, they were not.†
p. 15.8 *

however = to whatever degree (regardless of how much; or whatever unspecified amount)

His conservatism, however, was only fiscal.†
p. 45.1

however = a word used to connect contrasting ideas as when using though, in spite of that, in contrast, nevertheless, etc.

You four do intend to farm it, however?†
p. 283.8 *

however = a word used to connect contrasting ideas as when using "though", "in spite of that", "in contrast", "nevertheless", etc.

If he had found it six months before, it would have been an innocent thing, a testament to undying hope, evidence of bravery, however secretive, on my part, as well as of my commitment to our future.†
p. 255.6

However compromised and doomed I or others considered the arc of Pete's life, to his daughters, it certainly appeared as fresh and full of possibilities as their own lives did.†
p. 292.7

However many of them have fucked their daughters or their stepdaughters or their nieces or not, the fact is that they all accept beating as a way of life.†
p. 302.6

Whatever you have, however passionately you want it and he seems to want it, what he wants more and more is to fit in and be a good boy.†
p. 352.5

Definitions:

(1) (however as in: However, complications may...)
though (or another expression that connects contrasting ideas)

(Based on idea 1 we might not expect idea 2, but this is a way of saying that even though idea 1 exists, we still have idea 2. Synonyms include in spite of that, despite that, nevertheless, nonetheless, on the other hand, in contrastand but.)
(2) (however as in: However much she tried...)
to whatever degree (regardless of how much; or whatever unspecified amount)
(3) (however as in: However you do it, get it done!)
in whatever way
(4) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
meaning too rare to warrant focus:

Much more rarely (and arguably incorrectly), however can be used to intensify the word how, as when one says "However did you find her?" Grammarians would suggest using two words for that usage: "How ever did you find her?"