Point of View

This story is told from the first person point of view of 12-year-old Bean. She knows her own thoughts, emotions and experiences but the only information she has about other characters in the novel comes from what they tell her or what she infers. The first person point of view is important because this is a coming of age story. Bean learns from the jumble of events she encounters in the course of the novel a good many truths about life. Her process of learning these truths, particularly when it comes to the injustice of her sister’s trial, would not be as compelling if it were told from any other point of view.

Language and Meaning

There are two things of note in reference to the language and meaning in this novel. First, the author uses a good deal of legal language and patterns...