3.5 stars. Great characters and filled with history that everyone should be aware of. The ending was a bit unrealistic for me, but books endings are rarely a measure of their worth. Don't we all prefer to imagine our own anyway? It's rare that I am completely satisfied with a book's ending. 
 This is the 2nd of Chris Bohjalian's books I've read, the other being Skeletons at the Feast. He's a good writer. I intend to read more of his work.