Point of View

The point of view of the novel starts out in past tense with a third-person narrator focusing exclusively on Kirabo. The narrator spotlights the young girl and gives the reader details about her thoughts and emotions. Kirabo is an emotionally distant character who is frequently out of touch with her own feelings. The narrator respects this and often keeps a distance from the feelings that exist deep inside her, instead focusing on images and metaphors that exhibit her feelings without being specific or direct.

The point of view takes a brief foray in “The Witch: Chapter 3.” When Kirabo visits Nsuuta and asks if she can find her mother for her, the narrator is with Kirabo as always. However, at the end of the chapter, Kirabo leaves and the narrator remains in the room with Nsuuta: “[Kirabo] ran across the courtyard and back into the road...