Point of View

Love & Gelato is narrated from the first-person point of view of Lina Emerson, the main character. Lina narrates her story from the past tense. Because she is part of the story, Lina can only tell her reader what she knows at the time. For instance, when Lina’s mother first tells her about Howard, Lina has no idea what sort of role Howard will play in her life. Lina does not jump forward and give any foreshadowing that Howard is or is not her father, he is simply a name that her mother mentions in passing conversation. The reader gets to know Howard only as Lina gets to know him.

This first-person point of view from Lina’s perspective is important since Lina’s discovery of her biological father, her developing relationship with Howard, and her growing maturity as she learns to deal with the...