This is really a terrific novel - historical fiction at its finest and a lot to talk about with a book club.

I thought the book was a slow starter. There were so many characters and details to follow that at times it was confusing. The middle was very good, but the end dragged on and was finally somewhat disappointing. All in all, it was okay, but not deserving of a 5-star rating.

I had higher hopes for this book when I read the first few pages. However, after the initial 'incident' the book moved rather slow. It picked up a bit about 2/3 of the way through, and the end was predictable. Secondary characters became difficult to remember. An average read.