Point of View

The novel uses two different types of point of view. In the sections of the novel that are narrated by Jane, the point of view is the first person. Jane tells her story as though looking back on the year from a future date. Jane's view is almost like a diary or her own version of a Pillow Book. However, in the sections in which Akiko is the narrator, the point of view is the third person. A reader might argue that Jane is narrating Akiko's story but many of the things that take place in Akiko's story are things that happened before Jane met her.

The point of view of this novel is a highly personal point of view that allows the reader to create an intimate relationship with the main character, Jane. As the novel progresses, the reader gets to know Jane well and...