Hillard (Hilly) Wise gives the novel first-person narration. Wise Men is broken into three sections: 1947–52, during Hilly's adolescence; 1972; and the present.
The author, Hillard (Hilly) Wise, tells the story through his own experiences. The book is organized into three periods: Hilly's teenage years (1947-1952), a later event (1972), and the current time.