Comment on Structure

The book is a collection of eight distinct short stories. Each story is set in the real world, roughly in the modern day. Each story has its own set of characters, and no characters appear in more than one story. The stories often employ nonlinear structures. Specifically, the stories usually focus on a specific set of linear events, but the narration often interrupts this linear narrative with flashbacks and background information. For example, in “Dosas,” the linear story follows Elsie as she struggles to balance work with the matter of Olivia’s supposed kidnapping. The narrative occasionally flashes back in time to give key events in Elsie’s shared history with Blaise and Olivia.