I appreciate books that are both well-written and well-researched, but this book goes beyond those things to become more than the sum of its parts. It contains two stories about women, each a survivor of war and genocide, and the "research part" on the history of America's response to refugees. As I kept turning pages, wanting to know what happened, I kept thinking about my privilege and how it's so easy to distance myself from these very real tragedies happening. It's a tough read, but so so important. It is a moving portrait of refuge, and a book I would recommend to everyone.

My review is for the audiobook.

I have never been an audiobook person, but this book may have changed that. Richard Armitage does a phenomenal job narrating the story of these characters, engaging the listener by giving them distinct voices and accents. As a lifelong reader, listening was very different at first, and I worried I wouldn't be able to pay attention or keep the characters straight, but I think a fantastic narrator adds so much to the experience of the book, inviting you to go a bit slower and really savor the story.

This review is mainly for the audiobook experience. To the book, I give 4 stars, which I enjoyed very much. As per usual, Louise Penny doesn't disappoint.

My very first time listening to an Inspector Gamache novel. This one could be tricky, because it jumps between two events, but Louise Penny marks those events by choosing to set one event in the winter and the second during summer, and this really helped with knowing the setting while listening. Robert Bathurst did a wonderful job narrating, using his voice as a tool to give the listener a sense of drama, urgency, suspense, and calm. The story itself contained so many themes that I was really able to chew on due to the slower pace of listening to the story, and I enjoyed the wordplay much more, I think.

My version of the audiobook also had an interview between Louise Penny and Robert Bathurst that was enlightening, warm, and fascinating. Just like Three Pines. Overall, a wonderful experience. I may even go back to the beginning and listen to all of the Inspector Gamache books on audio.

I enjoyed Homegoing so much that I had to pick up this one right away. Similarly to other reviewers, I couldn't help but think that the events are partly true or at least based on someone's experience. It felt so personal, very lived in. And like real life, there are a lot of threads here, including addiction, spirituality/faith, family dynamics, and racism, but Yaa Gyasi handles them all with ease. The book jumps around between events in the main character's life, but it didn't feel jarring. It felt like someone honestly sharing their story, their passion for science, and their break from the church, and trying to resolve these seemingly opposing factions, both of which shaped her into who she became.

I got halfway through reading this one, but because I had recently finished a few audiobooks and really enjoyed the experience, I decided to finish this one on audio. Bahni Turpin is a wonderful and gifted narrator, providing the inflections and tones needed for this type of story.

Yaa Gyasi has quickly become one of my favorite authors. 4.5 stars.

Amazing. Stunning. One of my 5 star reads of the year. The writing is so raw, personal, and draws you immediately into the lives of these characters. It was a page-turner for me, and although it was a bit jarring when one character's story was abruptly cut off and a new one began, I thought it added a great deal to the atmosphere of the book. Many of these characters would have never known their families and descendants, due to the horrors of the slave trade, and I thought the structure of the book emphasized that fact.

Highly highly highly recommend. And I also knew that I needed to read Yaa Gyasi's next book right away!

I'm not typically a fan of family dramas or even historical fiction. But sometimes the characters are so real and their stories are so palpable that it transcends these kinds of labels and just becomes great storytelling, and I was hooked from the first chapter. The narrative, told by six different characters, was done so well, and I thought one of the strongest aspects was that Hillary Jordan interpreted the events that happened to one character through the eyes of different characters. It wasn't written like a diary with Laura narrating, then Florence, then Jamie; it was more like these six voices coming together to harmonize with each other and often to become discordant too. I was fully invested in these characters as the book sped toward its conclusion. I'm glad I gave it a chance.