Point of View

Maeve Binchy's Nights of Rain and Stars is told in the third person point of view. As readers, we hear multiple voices, depending on who is speaking or thinking at the moment. This allows the reader to experience the emotions—as well as the hopes, dreams, and faults—of all the characters, and gives the author the opportunity to tell the story from various angles. For instance, when Andreas first sees the fire aboard the Olga, he is not sure what to think: "He must indeed have been mistaken. But now he must pull himself together." Later, however, as the shocked tourists arrive, "for the first time, Andreas realized that it was true." Ms. Binchy allows the reader to follow Andreas' thoughts and see the episode through his eyes.

In the second chapter, the author begins to switch voices as the tourists at the tavern compare...