This book is REALLY LONG. Fortunately, I enjoyed it, and once I was into it I found it surprisingly gripping, leading me down the path of the central mystery absolutely dying to know more. The New Zealand cultural aspects were delightful, and the blatant colonial racism jarring. The cast of characters is large, but interesting for the most part, and generally have complete and satisfying arcs. It reads quite like you'd expect a Man Booker historical fiction winner to, but I probably didn't need to put it off for five years - it's not that difficult to get through! Worth the time it admittedly takes.
2020 Read Harder Challenge: Read a door stopper (over 500 pages) published after 1950, written by a woman