I'm usually more attracted to plot-driven fiction than to character-driven literary fiction, but I enjoyed this story. It's a story of secrets and lies told with the best of intentions and how they warp two families over the course of 25 years. The characters are drawn with sympathy and compassion. I found the language a bit flowery on occasion and some images a bit overused - at some point, every character had "shoulder blades sharp and delicate as wings." 
 I recommend this one.