Point of View

The novel is written from a series of different points of view; some chapters are written from Jivan's first person perspective, others from Lovely's first person vantage, and others still from PT Sir's close third person point of view. The remaining sections, titled as "Interludes," are written from minor characters' third person perspectives. By dividing the novel between this distinct network of narrative voices, the author grants her work an expansiveness. The reader finds herself learning the worlds, lives, and unique experiences of each main character. The minor characters' voices grant balance to these overarching perspectives, linking them all through a shared communal space on the page.

Jivan and Lovely's sections are written from the first person point of view in order to illustrate their fight to discover and claim their voices and identities. As a poor Muslim woman, Jivan knows that her identity is...