** spoiler alert ** 
 Never before have I teared up at a happy ending. But these women deserve a little togetherness, and the farm setting with all of them in their own spaces and surrounding little Bailey is a truly touching image. Strangely enough, even though it was certainly an afterthought of Brashares (unlike the original four books), this was my favorite book in the series. 
 Tibby's death and all their memories were written with incredible sensitivity and grace. I think all the girls' reactions to it, although they were uncomfortable to me (who wanted to see them come together and mourn), were true to life and to this group of girls. I know what a terribly jarring thing the unexpected death of someone close can be, and relating to others who are experiencing the same loss is difficult, to say the least. 
 But I also appreciated that Tibby still made her way into the novel and shaped their lives to some extent. This was much more successfully done here than I've seen it before (such as in PS I Love You). In retrospect, I think it was perhaps a little cruel that Tibby didn't tell them she was ill in the initial letter they read, but again, that seems kind of true to life. I'm not sure if I think she didn't know she wouldn't see them at all, or if she felt too guilty by then for not telling them sooner that she wanted them to find out from Brian. Either way, I think it's understandable. 
 I just loved how each of them found their way to a happy ending, despite the first 150 or so pages of abject misery. They all three truly earned their happiness. It's bittersweet, but it's also a damn good story.