What is the author's style in Mrs. Dutta Writes a Letter by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni?

The author uses a series of flashbacks, each of which helps to give the reader more information about a specific aspect of Indian culture, while illustrating the conflict between Indian and American cultures. For example, while Mrs. Dutta is getting ready in the bathroom on the second morning, she hears Mrinalini complaining that Mrs. Dutta has been in the bathroom too long, which Mrs. Dutta thinks is disrespectful. She "hopes that Shyamoli will not be too harsh with the girl" and then remembers back to all of the times she had to punish Sagar. "Whenever she lifted her hand to him, her heart was pierced through and through. Such is a mother's duty." When the narrator returns to the present, Shyamoli does not punish Mrinalini, further illustrating the difference between the two cultures.