Point of View

The novel is written from the third person omniscient point of view. The novel mainly follows the life of Ah Boon, but detail is given into the history of multiple other characters including Siok Mei and Natalie. In addition, the reader gets very occasional glimpses into the mindset of Uncle and Hia as well as other characters. Because the novel is told from the omniscient perspective, the reader learns about conversations that Ah Boon is not privy to. The most notable of these is the conversation between his mother and Siok Mei after Ah Boon tells Siok Mei he loves her. This conversation is a pivotal moment in the book because Ma does not tell Ah Boon that Siok Mei visited. This makes Siok Mei think that Ah Boon refused to come see her, and it makes Ah Boon think that Siok Mei does not...