Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of racism and antigay bias.

Chambers shifts between three timelines. How does the layering of timelines create a cohesive story of the Newberry family and their life in Swift River?

In Chapter 15, Aunt Clara recounts her relationship with Jacques as though it were a fairy tale. What is the significance of this genre choice? How does it support the work’s overall meaning?

Chapter 24 contains no date in its title, breaking the established pattern. Moreover, the chapter is addressed to Ma. What is the significance of this shift?