How does the author structure the novel, What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez?

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is divided into twenty-two chapters. The narrative point of view in each chapter shifts between the first-person lens of the Ramirez women, Dolores, Nina, Jessica, and Ruthy. The author utilizes the chapter divisions to move between the women’s perspectives in order to explore their interconnected experiences. When Nina returns to Staten Island, after graduating from college, she contends with feelings of failure, depression, and frustration. Simultaneously, her sister, Jessica, is navigating motherhood for the first time while pursuing a career in nursing. Jiménez includes Dolores’ first-person passages as well in order to inspect the generational shifts within the family. While Dolores raised her children to be independent, she resents her daughters’ boldness and feels that they are not respectful. Throughout the narrative, their personal experiences are informed by their relationships with one another. Their perception of self is inextricable from their relationship to the family unit.