Genre
Novel
Setting and Context
Set in Memphis in the context of illegal adoption
Narrator and Point of View
First-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Enlightening, sad, pessimistic
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character is Avery Judith Stafford.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is that the Memphis Adoption Organization is involved in illegal child trafficking.
Climax
The climax comes when Avery becomes Senator, digs into the secrets of the illegal adoption center, and discovers that Judy and May are biological twins.
Foreshadowing
Rill's determination to protect his brothers and sisters is foreshadowed by realizing that they were illegally adopted.
Understatement
The cruelty of the Memphis Adoption Organization is understated.
Allusions
The story alludes to the disquieting history of the (Tennessee adoption center) using imaginary characters.
Imagery
The description of the snapshot of a young couple on a lake or pond depicts sight imagery to readers. The author writes, “Sepia-toned and bleached white around the edges, the image is a snapshot of a young couple on the shore of a lake or pond. The man wears a battered fedora and holds a fishing pole.”
Paradox
The main paradox is that the children to be adopted are cruelly treated in the Memphis Adoption Organization, which is supposed to care for the children before getting new families.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Memphis Adoption Organization is personified as cruel.
