To be honest, the two Ann Patchett books I'd read so far had run the gamut for me. Where Bel Canto became an indelible favorite of mine for its story arc and character development, I didn't care for her meandering, implausible State of Wonder. Given that, I wasn't sure exactly where Commonwealth would fall. I'm sorry to say that, beautiful as I find Ann Patchett's prose, this one did not work for me. In fact, I liked this the least of the three of hers I've read so far. I just couldn't connect with the story or the characters.