“It has been some time since a book has affected me quite the way this novel has. I was struck by the authentic portrayal of characters that moved beyond the pages and made me see human beings in a whole new way. A tragedy of great proportion sets in motion an unraveling of lives, an examination of what people hold dear, and a recognition of how relationships with those closest are the most important facets of life. I really lived with these characters for the brief time I was reading this book. The writing is beautiful and the mystery at the heart of the book will keep readers riveted. This is the sort of work scholars are referring to when they explain why literature and the novel is so vitally important to our understanding of the human condition.”