Point of View

The novel is told in the past tense and with a third-person narrator, and the narrative switches between two distinct perspectives: Ona’s and Quinn’s. Most parts of the narrative that take place before the boy’s death are written from Ona’s perspective, and the parts that take place after the boy’s death are always told from either Ona or Quinn’s perspective. Quinn’s perspective with regards to events prior to the boy’s death are all presented in the form of Quinn’s regrets and personal recollections, thereby emphasizing Quinn’s general absence and inattentiveness during the time that the boy was still alive. Moreover, the primacy of Ona’s perspective with regards to the parts of the narrative prior to the boy’s death emphasizes the importance of the relationship between Quinn and Ona.

The shared burden of perspective...