Point of View

The point of view of the novel is a third-person, omniscient narrator. The perspectives shift from Ada and Pepper in the present, to Pearl’s experience in the river and remembering her past.

The viewpoints are of three women: Ada, Pearl, and Pepper. The three women are at distinctly different points in their lives and see the world thusly. Pearl reflects on her past and makes peace with aging and her subsequent death. Ada focuses on getting away from the place where she grew up only to discover how much the land and house and community are a part of her. Pepper, while logical and sometimes dark, sees the world through fresh, young eyes.

The story is contemporary, but does not offer a specific time and place. This allows the story to be viewed as a universal experience, particularly in familial relationships and the theme...