excellent. peels back the layers slowly to reveal the characters' history.
341018
Kept me going. I sat here and read this morning for 3 hours to finish it. Lovely characters and story. Rather like some of Maeve Binchy's work this one. Very very enjoyable.
277041
Interesting look at an historical event that I knew nothing about. You really get to know the characters and a feel for what they experienced.
28778
took a bit to get used to the authors letters back and forth to get to know characters.  after finishing I enjoyed the history and the characters all coming together.
2543324
Moriarty slowly and seamlessly weaves the lives of these people together. Their situations are complex and heart-wrenching. She makes you want to empathize with them and chastise them almost simultaneously. Highly recommend.
2633084
Beautifully written. Evokes times and traditions long gone with penetrating insights into the four main characters.
1735367
Amazing in depth look at life before and after colonization/slavery. I wish the later (more recent) years weren't rushed through because getting to deeply know the characters was the best part.
824261
I enjoyed the slow-feed of history as the story moved forward, informing me of his past and why the main character was hiding from the world.  I had trouble putting the book to bed at night.
1416990
Excellent.  Incredibly well written.  Brought some information to light. Good pace. I was wrong up to the climax!
Recommended for those who enjoy historical mysteries.
3893262
A book to read slowly. Wonderful characters. Great insight. What may seem fanciful ultimately rings true.
19327
Magical realism and symbolic imagery abound. It builds slowly in plot and weaves around you, drawing you in. Once you tip the half-way point, it becomes much more gripping. Interesting USVI/St Thomas history interwoven into the narrative. I enjoyed it. There is some incest- if that's a trigger for you, maybe give this one a pass, as it is gently handled.
3573424
Wonderful, slow but thorough character exhibition. The film passively grasps your emotional involvement eventually pulling you all the way in to an exciting culmination. Great patience by the director, writer, and editor to allow the natural flow of the story line.
1363237
Good read. The horrors those men endured for those almost three years is hard to comprehend. Hampton Sides does a great job of letting the reader into the minds of the characters. Recommend it highly.
2255928
Loved it. Felt the part about early history dragged book down a bit. But, was ready to start it again when I finished.
510655
I liked the complexity of this book. The characters were described well enough to be able to "see" them. The mystery is a plus and with the historical back weave it's hard to put down.
4128500
I like the way the characters are revealed. The in depth look into the minds of the characters puts you in the story as a reader. The book is written in an easy to understand way to allow the reader to keep turning the pages.
2867953
Good character development and insight into history. Kept me coming back to find out what happened.
2845781
Good interweaving of history with fictional characters.