Point of View

The novel is told in the first-person past by Rukhsana, the 17-year-old main character of the novel. Because the novel is told in the past tense, the perspective of the novel helps to ease tension that might otherwise overwhelm young readers who might feel sensitive to the threat of potential violence toward Rukhsana, who is in a hostile environment where homosexuality is frequently met with violent opposition. Because the narrator is looking back on events that have transpired, we are reassured that everything works out in the end, even when Rukhsana is stranded in a foreign country with no passport.

Because Rukhsana’ is a 17-year-old girl, her perspective is meant to seem relatable to young readers who are around her age. Although the novel does deal with some serious themes, most of the narrative energy is spent on dating, clothes, friendships, and struggling to attain...