Comment on Style

The first point to note about the collection’s use of language is its overall poetic sensibility. The language used throughout the collection is frequently image-based, using metaphor and simile to evoke meaning instead of offering direct explanation. A vivid example of this occurs in “Saint Junior,” in which the metaphor of fire on snow offers insight into the life transformations at work in the lives of protagonists Roman and Grace. Then there is the use of image-based language that evokes feeling and context without directly defining what either actually is. “The Sin Eaters” deploys both techniques, with the experiences of Jonah and the other captives described in non-literal terms and their physical circumstances described in language that clearly evokes the experiences of Jews in Nazi Germany without ever actually making a direct comparison.