Incredibly cohesive as a collection, far better than most, I’d argue. Interesting characters and themes, deeply rooted in family and community and nourishment and hypocrisy. Sometimes funny, sometimes disturbing, always in a humanizing, though. It does feel unique and interesting when looked at from the outside, with the full context of each story.

But while those components really worked for me, the prose and voice itself didn’t grab me. It’s hard to codify because I listened to the audiobook. Maybe the cadence of the writing was meant to be read, or maybe I just didn’t get on with the narrator; I’m not entirely sure. But whatever the reason, I found it hard to keep my attention. Might just be the diction; without active language my mind tends to wander.