Point of View

The author uses the first-person perspective in the novel, although the perspective switches from Dalva to Michael to Northridge throughout the book. The book opens with Dalva as the narrator, which is vital in that the opening part of the novel describes Dalva's past, much of which very few know. Without using the first-person perspective, the love between Dalva and Duane, the feeling of loss after the baby's birth, the endless wish for a father figure, and the constant looking backward into the past would not come across to the reader. It is because Dalva is the narrator that the reader is able to feel what Dalva feels and understand the emotions that lie underneath her decisions. Similarly, the use of Michael as a narrator serves a purpose as well. Michael is the voice of historic reason in the novel. As a scholar, Michael looks at...