Point of View

The work is told from the third-person perspective, with each chapter honing in on a particular character's perspective. As the work opens with a flashback entitled "The Offspring," Marilyn Sorenson is reflecting on her daughters. However, this opening chapter, which sets the tone of the work as a whole and alludes to a defining theme, also provides the perspective of Marilyn and David Sorenson's daughters. The setting is Wendy's lawn wedding at the family home. As Marilyn steals away to find a quiet moment with her beloved husband, all of her daughters catch them in an intimate moment under the gingko tree. From their perspective, there is no greater love, nor more perfect union, than that of their parents. This premise is echoed throughout the work as David and Marilyn's marriage provide a paradigm of marriage that seems impossible to attain.

The numbered chapters are...