I watched the show before reading the book, and I like the show better, but the book still has some points in its favor. The two aren't very similar except for the premise and some shared characters. I really liked the attention to the atmosphere and setting, and I learned some about the sugar cane industry. For me, the best parts were in the beginning (especially Charley dealing with conflicted feelings about the legacy of African Americans working the land) and the very end. The end was somber and raised some really good questions that I thought could have been explored more or given more depth.