Point of View

Rebecca Donovan tells her novel "Reason to Breathe" from the perspective of main character and principle protagonist, Emma. The narrative is scripted in the first-person mode, allowing Emma to speak to the reader. Because the novel deals with such harrowing and deeply personal events - and these can best be communicated directly on a personal and intimate level - telling the novel in the first-person perspective works perfectly for the novel. The fact that these experiences are Emma's means that the novel is best told by Emma, making the novel that much more personal and intimate. This allows the reader to see into her mind, to see how she deals with things like pain and love, hate and joy -and gives the reader a special access that none of the other people in the novel have.

Setting

Rebecca Donovan sets her novel "Reason to Breathe" in...