I love the way Kristin Hannah writes about her character, although I'm not really a fan of the way she writes her dialogue between characters. Jude captured the essence of motherhood. Mia, Lexi, and Zach embodied teenage angst. I did have a few major problems with this book. I found Mia's character unlikable and annoying. And as mentioned I didn't like the dialogue, although in Hannah's defense she was writing from a teenage perspective. The word "atonement" was over-used. I enjoyed the theme of privileged versus underprivileged. I also found much wisdom about grieving.