This is a companion novel to The First Girl Child (TFGC); it takes place over the same period but from different perspectives. Many reviews I read complain that it is almost the same as TFGC. I read TFGC over a year ago, so it's a distant memory. I only remember the main plot points, so the fact that it is the same story didn't bother me, but other things did. First, the pace for the first half was slow, and I almost gave up a few times. It took a long time to grab my attention, and then, once it did, the story moved too quickly. I also would have liked more from Hod's POV. I found him to be the more interesting character of the two. I loved TFGC, so this was a disappointment. Overall, it was a good story but not necessary.