Point of View

Krause wrote Valencia and Valentine using a third-person narrator that showcases a dual point of view, which alternates between chapters focusing on Valencia and Mrs. Valentine. This is significant because these alternating sections allow equal time allotted to the two characters’ stories. Krause also allows for a sense of foreshadowing when she drops hints in the narration about how these two stories may intertwine. For example, in Chapter 1, the narrator reveals that Valencia is a debt collector, and in Chapter 2, the narrator remarks that Mrs. Valentine often accrues credit card debt so that she can talk to debt collectors. The close placement of these details seems to imply that the two women would meet in a phone call related to debt, but this is not what occurs.

Valencia’s chapters are written in past tense, whereas Mrs. Valentine’s chapters are in present tense. This...