Point of View

The prologue of the novel is written in third-person, because Jozef is an infant and can't tell of the events of the day. It also zooms out and gives the reader a wide-angle view of the day that really changed the trajectory of Ondrej's life. After that, the point of view changes to first-person, so that Jozef can discuss the events of his life from an eyewitness perspective. While this gives the reader a closer glimpse of what's happening to Jozef, the reader is unable to discern what's happening in Ondrej's mind, especially in the months before Jozef goes off to war.

Language and Meaning

The author uses a lyrical style of writing, spare in dialogue, with a wide range of vocabulary. The sentences are almost stark at times, which mirrors the skills that Josef and Zlee come to prize in their lives as soldiers...