That’s my heart, Faye thought, something extra, unnecessary.
-- Narrator (chapter 1)

Importance: In this example, the inconsistent use of italics serves to blur the distinction between narrator and character, since “something extra, unnecessary” is a continuation of Faye’s thought: “That’s my heart.” This is typical of the adaptable narrative voice, which conveys emotion, rather than describing it from a distanced point of view. Faye is reflecting on the “jigsaw puzzle of her life,” which “looked whole, but there was one piece missing” (4). This introduces a key idea for the novel, which attempts to transcend conventional romantic narratives (and account for missing pieces) by stressing that the jigsaw puzzle is larger than any single individual’s life. The people we never meet – and the things we never accomplish – may be as significant as those that we do.

As she held her daughter, Dorothy felt an updraft and downdraft of emotion at the...
-- Narrator (chapter 2)