Genre
Children's literature
Setting and Context
England from 1895 until the end of WW1
Narrator and Point of View
An unnamed, third-person omniscient narrator.
Tone and Mood
The tone is mysterious; the mood is tense.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Olive is the protagonist; war is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel occurs when Olive begins to write her next children's book, in order to support her huge family.
Climax
The climax of the story is reached when Olive's own children are growing up and she has to deal with their struggles as they become adults.
Foreshadowing
The way Olive is able to cope is foreshadowed by the books that she has written.
Understatement
Family as a means of support is understated throughout the novel.
Allusions
The story alludes to the impact that the First World War had on everyday families.
Imagery
The imagery of the wonderful literary worlds Olive creates is present in the novel.
Paradox
The fact that Olive wants her children to grow up, yet wants them to stay with her is an example of paradox in the story.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The dinner table is a metonym for the love and arguments that they share.
Personification
N/A
