Point of View

The novel frequently shifts character perspective. Most of the novel is written with limited third-person narration that uses the past tense. Although the narrative occupies the perspectives of many different characters, the narration only represents one character’s perspective at any given time. Point-of-view characters include Mayya, Abdallah, Asma, Khawla, Salima, Azzan, Zarifa, London, and others. Almost half of the novel’s chapters are written from Abdallah’s perspective and are narrated by Abdallah in the first person. In these chapters, Abdallah thinks back on events from his life. He narrates in a retrospective mode from a point in time that is the latest chronological point in the novel.

The novel derives much of its narrative tension and thematic exploration by juxtaposing these various character perspectives. In some cases, the novel will highlight the moral superiority of certain viewpoints, such as Abdallah’s approval of...