Point of View

The novel’s narration is written in the past tense, utilizing a limited third-person perspective. The novel has three point-of-view characters: Sam, Ally, and Clara Loomis. Sam is the protagonist and primary point-of-view character. Much of the novel’s drama surrounds her emotional life, both internally and her relationships with other people. One of the most significant relationships in the novel is that of Sam and Ally. Ally stops communicating with Sam after Sam moves to another part of town. Ally is resentful of this perceived abandonment, and she also is wary of Sam’s overprotective parenting style. Sam and Ally are fortunately able to reconcile. Clara Loomis’ perspective is presented in the form of diary entries, which are inserted towards the end of the novel.

The novel also examines the idea of personal perspective versus social, political, and historical perspectives. One of the main...