Other than the prologue, the entire story is in the third person past tense from Nathan's point of view. What is the effect of this?

Jane Harper chose to tell this story in the third person past tense, entirely (with the exception of the prologue) from Nathan Bright's point of view. What is the effect of this?

Third person (past or present tense) is the most common narrative mode authors use. It helps establish a relationship between the reader and the main character. Either omniscient or limited, it allows the narrator to either know all the thoughts and feelings of all the characters or only his (Nathan's) own thoughts, feeling, or knowledge of various situations or other characters.

Wow - answering this question could take a long time. Too bad we are not all in the same room together because this is one question I think we could really hash over. I'm going for this: at the conclusion of the novel, I really love the character of Nathan. More than love him really - I have tremendous admiration for him! It seems to me that he has grown a great deal and that he has done so against some tremendous odds - the land, the town, and three men who were gigantic in his growing years - a father, a brother, and a father-in-law. Between the three of them they nearly broke him. But they didn't - and in the end he has not only left them behind, outgrown all of them, but gone on into his future to be a bigger and better man than he possibly ever dreamed he could be. He does not tell us his story first person - we see his life and character and growth through the vision of an outsider. To me this makes Nathan an even bigger man. He is not bragging or boasting or begging us to admire him. No, Nathan has already moved on down the road to being a better son, father, husband, friend. Rather it is another, an outsider like myself, who knows his story and is sharing it with me - showing me and all readers what a fine man he is and helping us to see and appreciate how the odds may be really stacked against any of us, but like Nathan, we can overcome.

Awesome answer Susiej!