Point of View

The novel is written primarily from July's first person point of view. The remaining sections are written from a close third person perspective, which follows Sheela and the Settle House's experiences and consciousness. The sections driven from July's perspective immerse the reader in her relationship with September. Though July is speaking from her own voice, the majority of her narration is devoted to describing her relationship with September. She often employs collective first person pronouns, narrating as if from a shared consciousness with her sister. By the end of the novel, the reader realizes that July has been alone for the entirety of the narrative. Her perspective, however, refuses to admit that September is dead. Her obsessive use of "us" and "we" to refer to herself and September, as if housed within one body, illustrates the depth of her grief over her sister's passing. Once...