Point of View

The novel is written in first person, from the dual perspectives of William Tillman and Rowan Chase. Rowan lives in modern times, and William lives in 1921. Though the two are separated by about a century, they are tied by some common issues, including the death of Vernon Fish.

Rowan is the daughter of a white father and black mother. She lives a relatively sheltered life, but she is beginning to realize there is more to life than her sheltered existence. Rowan is angry when James says that she is sheltered, but she secretly fears that he is right. With that in mind, she is pleased to begin work at the Jackson Clinic, a medical facility on the poorer side of Tulsa. Rowan seems to be honest with her thought processes, and she seems to be a reliable narrator. She tries to do what her parents...