desert for the remainder of their lives. Thais's open-ended story can be considered the struggle for freedom from sexual and emotional slavery. Though the lives of the three human characters are distinct and independent, they are woven together by Lasirén's consciousness and influence. Often, prayers to Lasirén (or one of her other forms) are the catalyst for her possession of a character and the Loa's influence in the physical world. Additionally, each character's life is a facet of the Ginen's struggle for freedom, and the results of their story arcs are each a form or measure of success in that struggle. Setting The story takes place in multiple settings, switching from character to character as well as place to place. Mer's story takes place in Saint-Domingue, during the late 17th century. It is a time when French colonization was taking place and slaves were used on plantations to harvest crops for trade. Jeanne's story takes place in Paris and Neuilly, France during the 1840s. Thais' story is set in Alexandria, Egypt and Aelia Capitolina, or Jerusalem, during 345 C.E.. Structure The novel is broken up into pseudo-chapters with the headings below: BEAT..., BREAK/ BEAT! ONE- ... DROP BLUES SISTER SOUL THROWING WORD SLIDE SLIP RATTLE CHAIN BREAK RATTLE PROPPING SORROW BLOOD SING RIP TIDE EBB BEAT BREAK/ RATTLE DRINK SAW JIZZ JAZZ ROCK DOWN SEE BLOW HOLE RIFF The structure and arrangement of these titles mirror three poems that are present in the ROCK chapter. By doing so, Hopkinson is able to make the novel flow along the lines of a verse or chant, emphasizing its poetic sentiments. Point of view The novel moves from first person point of view to third person point of view throughout the whole novel. When telling the stories of each of the three main characters, Mer, Jeanne, and Thais, the point of view is in first person, as each protagonist narrates the story as she sees it. It is also limited, for the characters do not appear to know every thought and detail about other characters, but what is generally accepted as true. Also, the goddess Lasiren speaks from a first person point of view. When she speaks, the text in the novel appears differently, highlighting her other-worldliness. There are also times when the story is told from a third person point of view. And those are times that tell the story from another's