Storytelling has a profound influence on the novel’s setting, characters, structure, and overall meaning. The novel’s two protagonists know each other less than a year, and they’re confined to a hospital in Glasgow because of their medical conditions. However, thanks to the stories they share, the novel’s settings expand to include London, Sweden, and Vietnam and span decades. In addition, storytelling expands and develops the novel’s cast. Many supporting characters, including Humphrey and Lenni’s mother, appear only in Lenni and Margot’s recollections, heightening the significance of sharing stories. The memories the protagonists share with one another contribute to their development too. For example, Margot’s stories reveal similarities between her and Lenni, such as their lonely childhoods and complicated relationships with religion.

Additionally, the importance of storytelling shapes the novel’s structure. Lenni and Margot spend much of their time together painting and recalling the memories that their art represents. Rather than presenting a linear narrative, Cronin uses flashbacks extensively to explore their life stories. The storytelling theme connects to key plot moments. For example, the rising action begins when Lenni has the idea of creating 100 paintings with Margot to represent 100 stories from their lives.