Point of View

The author writes the novel from the third person point of view. This third person narrator shifts between different levels of psychic distance, moving in and out of each of the character's consciousnesses. Most frequently, however, the narrator inhabits Harriet's interiority and emotional experience. As the novel progresses, she does also move into the mental spaces of Margot, Gretel, and Perdita as well. By allowing the point of view this level of flexibility, the author is able to present a nuanced narrative capable of more thoroughly exploring the complex interpersonal relationships which dictate Harriet's life as well as the world of the novel.

At the start of the narrative, however, the reader initially believes she will solely be reading Harriet's story, exploring her interior life most closely. The novel's progression gradually reveals the ways in which Harriet's consciousness is shaped by those around her. Reading...