Point of View

The story is written in third person, usually from Will Farnaby's point of view. In some ways, this is limiting because the reader learns mostly of an event if Will is present or if someone tells him of it. However, it's effective because Will himself is on a mission to learn about Pala and the reader learns as Will learns. Will is an astute student because his job is journalism. He works at learning facts and gaining information and he sets about to do just that on the island of Pala.

There are occasions when the point of view is changed. Early in the story, Susila MacPhail is leaving her home when she sees a flock of birds break through the trees. She "was on the point of turning to catch the expression of delight on Dugald's upturned face", when she remembers that he died in...