Point of View

This novel is told from the point of view of a third-person narrator with Grace’s story as a focus. Because this novel is a coming-of-age story, it might have made sense to tell it from Grace’s first-person point of view. This first-person point of view would have given the reader more intimate access to Grace’s thoughts and emotions. However, this novel is not about Grace’s development in isolation, but how she develops in relation to the people and events around her. The third-person point of view gives the reader a less biased relationship with Grace. It also allows Martin to develop the historical portions of the novel and define how the war impacts Grace and those around her.

The narrator is limited in his knowledge of the characters. He is able to record Grace’s actions, thoughts, and emotions, but is...