Point of View

The House We Grew Up In is told through a third person, omniscient narrator. The narrator is neutral and doesn’t provide commentary or judgement on the characters. In this regard, the narrator seems reliable in presenting the facts of the story objectively.

The narration offers some perspective on how the characters view each other. Through the narration the reader understands more clearly the family dynamics. The narration offers insights into the complicated relationship between Meg and her mother and Meg and Beth. The reader knows about the affair between Beth and Bill before Meg officially does. However, with the nonlinear timeline, the reader knows that Meg and Beth have had a falling out in the present, but until the affair is revealed in one of the past sections the reason for the falling out is not clear.

Individual focus is given to Meg, Beth...