The structure allows Steed to omit strategic pieces of information, so that when fractures occur they are sudden and shocking. The consequences of the passage of time are also made visible. Betrayals within the family have repercussions that create secondary injuries or, as Steed writes, ‘A hairline crack. Small, but spreading.’ The chapters themselves are paradigms of subtle storytelling, although overall Steed might have made more use of certain events, in particular a shocking deception involving two characters and the subsequent reconciliation, which seems too abrupt.

On the whole, Steed is more interested in exploring the ways in which the family members connect, rather than exploiting the divisions between them. This aligns with the motif of the ‘mixed tape’ that runs through the collection. Overall, nostalgia prevails, even in the way that families view their own histories.