This book nearly ended up as a DNF when I tried to read it last summer. I think I just wasn't in a good reading mood. I picked it up again a few months later, started over, and it was a much better experience. It didn't hurt that I ended up taking an Asian history course shortly before I started reading it the second time. The story is very well-written and the characters develop really well over time. It's a beautiful story with plenty of heartbreak and realism. This is no fluff piece and does pull at the heart here and there. I'm very glad I gave it a second try. Well worth the read.