Point of View

The story is presented from a limited perspective. The point of view changes several times over the course of the novel. Several of the chapters are seen from the perspective of four generations of women of a single family. Other chapters are seen from the perspective of characters who touched their lives. Some of the events overlap, so that scenes are presented from multiple perspectives. For example, Fredrick Douglass visits Ireland where he first meets Lily Duggan Ehrlich. He talks about meeting the staff members of the household, including the maid named Lily, but he doesn't realize that she listens to his words and that he inspires her. She makes another appearance in his life before he leaves the country and, from his perspective, the meeting is awkward because he doesn't know what she expects of him. When she remembers their meetings, the reader sees...