Maggie will need to navigate the contrary forces of her world and undergo the difficult transformation, told so compellingly in The Orphan Game , from girl to woman. The narrative is told largely from Maggie's point of view, with contributions from Mrs. Rumsen, Maggie's mother, and briefly, Jamie and Allison. Maggie's voice matures considerably over the course of the novel. Mrs. Rumsen's character could be described as the happiest in the story. There are a number of crucial points where Maggie's father could have changed the course of events had he acted differently.
Ownership is a recurring theme in The Orphan Game .
The language hits just the right note. Her attention to every detail of the period is faultless. . . . Such virtues and bursts of brilliance provide evidence that this accomplished short story writer can spin memorable fiction at length. Darby's world is seamless.