How does the author structure the novel, The Women in the Castle?

The novel starts in November 1938 with a prologue that introduces the plot and main storyline. The prologue is set before the war and establishes what Marianne spends the rest of her life doing. Part 1, Chapter One begins in June of 1945 - the war is now over. There are four parts to the novel and thirty-eight chapters in total, with the longest section Part 1, and the shortest section Part 4. Each part indicates time has passed, first just several years, next several months and finally several decades. At each new section, the women have entered a new phase of their lives.

At the beginning of each chapter, Shattuck writes the name of the town the chapter starts in, as well as the month and year, and rarely the exact date. Some of the chapters are no more than 3 pages, some are 15 or more, but on average the chapters are roughly 6-10 pages. The length of the chapters does not indicate the importance of the chapter, but rather the length of the particular story at that time.

The chapters mostly follow in order chronologically but occasionally move back and forth as she introduces new characters. Within the chapters, the characters often think back on events in the past, mimicking the way a person might remember events as they live through the present. Using this structure enhances the mystery around each of the characters’ pasts, as they try to move on after the war but must confront the truth.