Point of View

The point of view is strictly Annemarie Johansen's, but it is not told in the first person. The story is told through a third-person narrative, but the narrator is not omniscient and at no time intrudes into the story. We learn what Annemarie learns as she learns it. Since the adults in her life try to protect her from finding out too much about the gravity of their situation, the reader, like Annemarie, can only watch and pay attention for clues in the hopes of figuring it all out. Fortunately the author is aware of how perceptive children can be, and so, despite the fact that the adults are less than forthcoming with the little girl, both Annemarie and the reader see enough to grasp the truth of her friend Ellen's peril, and are able to figure out how the Resistance intends to help Ellen and...