Compelling, with interesting characters. The story wanes towards the end, though, and becomes a bit unbelievable. The characters take actions that don't seem realistic. The character of Little Bee is mature, sometimes profound, and sometimes humorous, and overall very enjoyable and likeable.

Even being a Catholic, this topic was unfamiliar to me so the historical aspect was very interesting. The overarching theme, though, is a beautiful story about the natural ebb and flow of the relationships of women. I loved how smoothly the author moved through the stages and phases of Dinah's life; it never felt too slow. Never too graphic, even the tragic events were written in a sweeping and epic prose. It left me feeling good to be a woman!