Point of View

The novel is told from the first person point of view, from the viewpoint of Sepha Stephanos, an immigrant from Ethiopia. The point of view doesn't change, but the timeline does. Alternating between past and present within one chapter, the reader is given the viewpoint of a younger Stepha, as an older Stepha narrates the memory. The older Stephan is a more reliable narrator than the younger Stepha, and yet, both ring with the same hope for a chance at the American Dream.

Language and Meaning

The novel, itself, utilizes accessible language, and offers readers a poignant look at what it means to lose a family and a country, and to finally come to terms with how to make a new home in a new country.

Structure

The structure is non-linear in nature and tends to focus on three primary points of time in Sepha's...