Sparse, Poetic
Danticat covers a lot of distance in the course of this book, so you can bet that she's economical with her prose. But there are moments when she stretches out and shows us her poetic side. This generally happens when Sophie recalls a story or piece of folklore, as in this remembrance of her mother's description of the Marassas:
When they laughed, they even laughed the same and when they cried, their tears were identical. When one went to the stream, the other rushed under the water to get a better look. When one looked in the mirror, the other walked behind the glass to mimic her. What vain lovers they were, those Marassas. Admiring one another for being so much alike, for being copies. (11.85)
These passages are super different from the sparse and straightforward narration surrounding them… and this helps them stand out as the jewels of prose that they are.