Point of View

The story is told from Dinah's point of view. At times it is in first person, and other times in third person. In the section titled "My Mothers' Stories," the author frequently shifts from telling her mother's stories in the third person to inserting her own personal feelings about what her mothers have said in first person. This is not confusing for the reader because Diamant makes the shifts very clearly. The rest of the book is in first person, told from Dinah's memories.

Dinah weaves her stories by using rich descriptive language as well as dialogue. Dinah's memories are very detailed and tell the viewer that she is an astute observer. She rarely leaves out any details concerning someone's actions, facial expressions, or dress. The novel also includes a good amount of dialogue. Even though it is Dinah's telling of her mothers' stories as well...