The novel is structured by the passage of time; each chapter is headed with the name of a month, beginning with June and ending a year later.

In another sense the novel is structured by conversation, much of it in dialogue, but much of it also Scott's present-tense monologue as he recounts the events of his emotionally turbulent year. Scott is a vivid and interesting talker; or, to put it a bit differently, Lyle makes the novel come alive through Scott's absorbing and often witty narration. Lyle has an excellent ear for how people talk. Scott's way of talking and thinking defines this story: It gives it its edges and its substance. He is never boring. He has a lively, dramatic way of putting things. For example, he says: "On Saturday night at the fairgrounds, the river is lazy and yellow. Chickens barbecuing in wire frames...