Point of View

This novel is written entirely in third person from what is sometimes called the limited omniscient point of view. In other words, the author addresses every character as "he" or "she" and explores the thoughts of only the main character, Evie Decker. Even in showing what Evie is thinking, Anne Tyler does not go into great detail. Occasionally, she mentions a plan or thought that Evie has, or gives a basic description of her emotional state, but generally she lets the action reveal the internal condition of her characters, including Evie. For example, she never writes that David is upset, but in one scene she does point out that David whistles under his breath all the way home. Given an argument that has just occurred, it is easy to deduce that David's whistling is an attempt to control his aggravation. The author often uses this descriptive...