What is the author's style in Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch?

"Ashes of Roses" by Mary Jane Auch is written in the first-person point of view, through the eyes of the main character, Margaret Rose Nolan, an Irish immigrant. The use of the first person in the story works well in that the reader is able to understand the world of immigrants as well as the point of view of a young woman in a foreign country. The use of first person makes the story relatable to the reader as each can experience the excitement, fear, courage, and determination of a young woman set on becoming all that she can be in America. The experience changes Rose almost immediately. As the story goes on, Rose becomes savvier to the ways of the world and realizes that her journey is going to much more difficult than she had imagined.

The use of the first person point of view is remarkably powerful during the chapters in which Rose and the others battle for their lives in the Asch Building. Only a first person point of view can accurately portray emotions that would be experienced in such a harrowing situation.

The third-person omniscient point of view may have enabled the reader to get a broader perspective of an Irish immigrant in New York City. However, the use of the first person perspective lends an air of authenticity to the story and allows the character of Rose Nolan to become real.