Point of View

The novel is written in third person from the limited perspective of Sasha. She is a child when the novel opens. Typically, a child has a very limited understanding of events. The children in Russia during this time period are by necessity taught more about some aspects of the society. For example, Sasha is aware that people are arrested for what should be minor offenses. Many of those arrested become political prisoners – charged with acting against the government. One story circulates of a man who was arrested for telling a joke. Many never return. Those who do are broken by the horrors they experienced. The adults have no choice but to teach children about the dangers they could face, which means Sasha is not as naive as children in other situations might be.

The limited perspective prevents the reader from knowing events without Sasha being...