It's probably missing the point, but I kept thinking how strange it was that so many people had personal experience with child rape/molestation--it's not just several, but almost every single character in the book. I'm sure it is more common than most people would guess, but if it's that common, that's unbelievably bleak. In any case, I finished it with the same feeling that I usually do with Toni Morrison's books (impressed, awed, etc). It's beautifully written and the resolution is much more pleasant than I would have predicted.