The book went through lulls and parts where I couldn't put it down and zoomed through - mostly the parts where Lenu and Lila are bouncing off each other. 

I messaged a friend halfway through about how each woman decides to deal with their childhood trauma from growing up in the neighbourhood in different ways. Lenu tries to escape the neighbourhood and craft a new life but realises the neighbourhood is part of who she is. Her family suffer as she leaves them behind. And Lina tries to stay in the neighbourhood and improve it while never seeing the world. Her family suffer in the neighbourhood even though she does try to help them. 

The scenes of Lenu spending time with her mum in her mums last months of life are really poignant.