3.5 stars

This book was a bumpy ride. It started off quite strong with Paula’s story but got impossibly boring somewhere around Judith’s story. Then came Brida, whose part I liked. That was followed by Malika - the best written character according to me, only to be let down by Jorinde’s part.

While reading the book, I had trouble remembering the stories of the previous characters. I absolutely loved Mailka’s part and was disappointed when she became a secondary character during the last part (Jorinde’s story).

Something that I did appreciate a lot was Krien’s portrayal of how these women dealt with their problems, especially about children, work and relationships. Some readers might argue that these depictions featured some sexist and outdated ideas, but I think it was an honest introspection of how intricate human relationships are.

I would have preferred if this book took only three characters and did proper justice to all of them, instead of writing a rushed part for all of the five characters. The writing is great in some parts, but I think trying to condense so much in 300 pages produced a confusing and somewhat incoherent narrative. It’s a shame really because Malika’s part is so beautifully written that a book centred around her would have been absolutely fantastic. I feel as if I was offered a look into what could have been, and now I’m utterly bitter because it’s nowhere near that.
(I’m surprised that it’s getting this strong of a reaction from me - a clear testament to Daniela’s writing ability, I think!)

(I received a review copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)