Patchett is a master of writing, both in her writing style and in the characters she creates. The book tells the story of two families, brought together by an affair and marriage and then growing apart over the span of 5 decades. The private lives are brought out for the world to see when a book loosely based on their story is turned into a film.

As with all of Patchett’s novels, I liked the relationships that she developed between the different characters; they felt real, as do many of the characters themselves. However, my biggest problem with the book was also these same characters. I love a good family epic, but it was too darn hard to keep track of which family the children belonged to (which was an important plot point multiple times). Also, the big “secret” that the children hide from the parents is just kind of…lame when it comes out at the end. But the story and Patchett’s writing kept me hooked. Is this my favorite of her works so far? No. But do I recommend it if you like complex family stories? Absolutely.