Point of View

The novel is written in in the third person and the past tense. The story almost entirely adheres to Molly’s perspective. However, there are a few brief exceptions in which the novel tells flashbacks regarding Moll’s recent experiences. The story centers on Molly’s perspective in order to illuminate the specific tribulations of a working mother in the present day. Even regardless of Moll’s sudden appearance, Molly struggles to balance her work with her parental responsibilities. Her struggles are further augmented by the fact that her husband is often out of town for work, and thus Molly is placed in the gender-regressive position of having to take on a larger share of the parental responsibilities.

The progression of Molly’s perspective substantiates much of the novel’s dramatic tension and development, especially since it is possible for the non-realistic elements of the...