Point of View

The novel’s narration is written in the past tense and the limited third person. The novel is narrated by Chinonso’s guardian spirit, known as a ‘chi’ in Nigerian folklore. The novel’s framing device is that the chi is giving a report to more powerful spirits, specifically pertaining to key events in Chinonso’s life. The novel repeatedly explains the parameters of the chi-host relationship. The chi has access to all of Chinonso’s thoughts and feelings. The chi cannot control Chinonso, but it can try to influence Chinonso’s actions by inserting specific thoughts into Chinonso’s mind. Due to these specific metaphysics, the reader may essentially view the novel as being written from Chinonso’s perspective. The chi is the narrator and technically the only point-of-view character. However, because the chi has direct access to Chinonso’s inner life, Chinonso is...