Point of View

Little Wishes is told through a third-person limited narrator. The majority of the narrator’s focus is on Elizabeth, the novel’s protagonist. This is especially useful when it comes to building suspense, since the reader knows that Elizabeth is hiding a secret but does not find out what it is until the end of the story. The narrator’s shifts to Tom’s perspective are equally powerful since they fill in the gaps that Elizabeth is not able to, given her physical distance from Tom when he leaves for Wolf Rock.

This narration style remains consistent throughout the novel. It mostly alternates between Tom’s and Elizabeth’s point of views but occasionally provides a glimpse into James’ mind. Changes in perspective are marked with a blank line within chapters.

The narrator plays a crucial role in developing the characters through descriptions of their...