Point of View

The point of view shifts from first person to third person omniscient in this novel, depending on which character has the lead in the chapter. When Grace is relating the story, it is exclusively from her viewpoint, and the reader is invested with Grace and her quest. Her point of view is not always reliable, however, as Grace is ten years old. She draws conclusions and makes assumptions that are not always logical given the facts. She can misread adults when they are speaking about her and attribute those qualities to Tilly; or she can misunderstand if what is said does not fit her current belief system. This shifts near the end of the novel as she matures and accepts feedback. Her mishaps in logic create dramatic irony, and she is not so unreliable a character that the reader immediately disregards what she manages to...