Point of View

The novel is told in alternating first person point of view. Bekim and his mother, Emine, narrate the stories of their lives in the past tense, though Emine’s story starts in the 1980's and Bekim’s story starts in the 2000's.

The alternating perspectives create an interesting dynamic in the novel and help the plot unfold in an unusual manner. Emine’s story starts out very romantically. She is attracted to Bajran and excited to be his wife. All of Part 1 focuses on the events leading up to her wedding night. Bekim is their son, though, and his story takes place over twenty years after they met. Right after we read about Emine’s engagement, Bekim tells us that his father is absent from his life. Right before Emine and Bajran wed, Bekim tells us that his father was abusive. The contrasting opinions the...