I had ups and downs with this book. On the one hand it has a beautiful prose that is almost lyrical. There are side stories that are told with such detail and rhythm that even side characters are so well developed. But, there isn't enough dialogue to move the story along. It is more of a retelling of this story than living in it. The characters are okay as is the plot, although the plot is very slow moving at times. I wanted the story to have more of a solid plot than just a story about family and love through the years.