Again Conroy uses first-person narration. Because Jack McCall knows his friends and their family members so well, he is able to accurately present their points of view. The novel is structured in layered vignettes which vary in time reference. The narration moves from present to past and back again, complimenting Conroy's theme of the acceptance of the past in order to control one's future. Each flashback episode reflects upon a main character to explain a background which has helped determine his or her present situation.

For instance, the Holocaust stories of Ruth and George Fox help Jack to understand one reason why Shyla committed suicide, and the background of Jordan's interaction with his father is necessary for the reader to understand their fractured relationship. The fracturing and separation of generations is echoed in the divorces of various couples and the physical separation of Jack from not only his...