The novel is written in simple, elegant prose, based on a vocabulary accessible to most readers and, for the most part, told in straightforward, literal language. In most cases the breathtaking images of lush forest and colorful wildlife are, in and of themselves, so filled with sensory appeal that they come alive with the mere telling. In a single paragraph Rawlings can take the reader to a place of awe-inspiring peace and tranquility, setting the wonders of nature right before the reader's eyes.