What is the narrator point of view in the novel, The Guineveres?

The Guineveres is told mostly in first person from the perspective of Vere. Her perspective is limited as she can only speculate on how the other girls are feeling and what they are thinking. The book is written primarily from Vere’s perspective because it is meant to be Gwen’s daughter’s revival story and written to provide her with answers to questions she might have about her life. Therefore, Vere is the logical person to tell the story since she was not only the first Guinevere to arrive at the convent, but also stays at the convent to raise the child.

The revival stories of each of The Guineveres is told from that girl’s perspective, i.e., Gwen tells her revival story, Win tells hers, and so on. The author writes the stories from the perspective of each girl because it allows her to delve into the way each girl is feeling during the events leading up to being left at the convent. Telling the stories from the perspective of each girl also allows the reader to connect with each character and understand the traumas they have experienced in their lives that have shaped their personalities.

The chapters about the saints are told in the third person omniscient perspective. The narrator, who may or may not be Vere since she is fascinated by the saints, includes the feelings and thoughts of multiple characters involved in the stories. These stories are meant to provide information about some of the saints the girls at the convent learn about, but they also give insights into the story of The Guineveres.