Point of View

The novel is narrated in the third-person, always from the perspective of Verna LaVaughn, a 14-year-old girl who lives with her mother in a small apartment in an economically struggling neighborhood. Her father died when she was a young girl when he was shot by gang members while playing basketball in the neighborhood. Verna’s mother is focused on securing a good future and education for her daughter, so she worries when Verna begins babysitting Jolly’s children and is exposed to negative influences. Verna grows to care deeply for Jilly, Jeremy, and Jolly, and she does her best to help out their small family.

Virginia Euwer Wolff does not place any limitations on the access to Verna’s inner thoughts, allowing the reader to understand her true motivations, fears, and conflicts. In her childlike manner, Verna is often completely honest with the people in...