The character of Chula is based on the author herself, and she is the novel’s protagonist and first-person narrator. The story follows her from ages seven to 15, and her narrative perspective is characterized by youthfulness, curiosity, and sensitivity. Chula’s narrative voice is deeply personal, emotionally driven, and rich in detail. Her emotional state comes across not only in what she expresses directly, but also in the pacing and structure of her sentences. Strikingly short sentences denote periods of depression, apathy, or boredom, while long, run-on, and ungrammatical sentences describe instances of agitation, overwhelm, or panic. Chula favors free indirect over direct narration. The text is thin on dialogue, and the reader rarely hears Chula’s “speaking” voice.

Chula is highly sensitive, and her empathy, curiosity, and vivid imagination inspire her to try to experience other people’s perspectives. For example, when Chula perceives the burden of responsibility that Petrona bears, she feels “sorry for Petrona” (18); when a girl Chula’s age is killed in a nearby car bombing, she effortfully imagines “what ceasing to exist would be like” (39). Chula even “sympathize[s] with Pablo Escobar’s family” when she hears that they are “begging for refugee status” (253) because it reminds her of her own family’s plight.