Sometimes I will have a book on my shelf long enough that I completely forget the premise and go walking in as if I just randomly picked it up at the bookstore that day. This was a case of that occurrence. I was not expecting what I read, but that is absolutely not a bad thing.

This is really good as a debut. The writing is gentle and presents the story in a way that feels natural and comfortable. It was shortlisted for the Booker and very much deserves it. It has a heavy literary fiction flavor, not something I typically align very well with, but it is so well constructed.

The characters are intensely real. Somehow they remind me of the style of Fredrick Backman, particularly in his Beartown series. They are all flawed and genuine without feeling overly stereotypical. In fact, they are intricately created and so well placed into the narrative that this nearly reads as nonfiction.

The plot is beautifully moving and had some serious surprises in store. I had some strong emotional responses to the events and the ways in which the characters interacted. I really did not expect to enjoy this read as much as I did. Something about it is terribly gripping.