Point of View

Each story in this collection has its own perspectival mode. These modes change between stories but are consistent within each single story. Some stories are written in the first person, and some are written in the third person. Some utilize the present tense, and some utilize the past tense. The point-of-view characters are Daniil, Zaya, Mikhail, Illych, Pyotr, Lila, and Larissa’s older daughter. Each story occupies only a single character’s point of view, with the exception of “Roach Brooch,” which appears to incorporate both Lila and Pyotr’s perspectives. The narration is never omniscient, as the narratives are limited to the point-of-view characters’ own thoughts and experiences. These limitations help to emphasize the characters’ personal struggles within uncertain overarching contexts.

Despite these restrictions on the characters’ perspectives, the stories still manage to develop a sense of collective societal and historical perspectives. The stories...