This book surprised me. I did not expect to like it as much as I did. But I loved it. 
 I'd say that at times, much of this novel felt more like intertwining vignettes, but I think that played in my favor. I actually really struggled with the first chapter and was expecting the story to alternate between the two sisters as protagonists. Once I got to chapter three and realized that was not going to be the case, I adjusted my expectations. 
 Each story is beautifully written and illuminates another element of history that I had not previously considered. I especially loved the focus on the chain-gang; I tend to only consider that part of reconstruction with O Brother Where Art Thou? , and it is seriously more complex than that. 
 Since I have been reading so much immigrant literature lately, I cannot help but view this slightly from the perspective that African slavery was a type of forced immigration.