Point of View

The book is written in third person and is from both Mary's and Will's point of view. It could have been written only from Mary's point of view though having Will's helps the reader gain a better understanding of the time period and the characters. There is exposition and lots of dialog. The dialog is typically written in the way a person of a particular ethnic background would likely have talked. For example, the French mixed some French words with their English. Mary's words are filled with an Irish brogue as are Will's and the other members of the family. Meanwhile, the old Dutch woman - Ghetel - often says "gut" instead of "good," as the Dutch accent apparently shows through. The dialog sometimes becomes cumbersome because it's sometimes difficult to understand the meaning of the words. Nonetheless, that dialog is vital as it helps the...