Point of View

I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home is written from both the first and third person points of view. Because the novel is divided into two disparate storylines, each storyline employs an alternate narrative vantage point. The portions of the narrative tracing Eliza's life and experiences are written from the first person direct address. Because Eliza's account appears strictly "in the form of letters . . . written to a particular person, a sister," this narrative vantage point is organic to the epistolary form (136, 137). The first person direct address also establishes an intimate tone that is crucial to understanding Eliza's character and her relationship with her sister. Although her sister has died, Eliza tells her, "How I miss you still" (9). Her letters are an indication of her inability to let go of her sister. Her sister is not physically with her, but Eliza is seeking to...