Point of View

The novel is written in third person point of view narrated by the author except for Chapter 27 which offers a description of Darlene's funeral from the first person point of view told by two women Lenore and Josephine. The discussion between the two women provide information on what occurred at the funeral as if the reader were eavesdropping on their visit with each other.

McFadden may have written Chapter 27 in first person because of the heaviness of the content of the chapter. The conversation between Lenore and Josephine provides the reader a first-hand experience of Darlene's funeral and the description of the apartment. The woman who attended the funeral and went to Emma and Sam's afterward shared the details to her friend who was unable to attend. Offering this point-of-view gave the reader the chance to learn details that would have otherwise been left out...