one of my best friends gifted me this book for my birthday, and i’m so glad she did. i wasn’t expecting to be as invested in the book and the characters as i was, considering the book's length, how it took place over several years, and mentioned many characters. while i’m very close to my immediate family, i feel like anyone can relate to the intricacies this family represents, including myself. the book also represented to me the importance of not letting things go unsaid; so many of the characters felt different weighing emotions because they didn’t share how they felt or didn’t know how to communicate with each other. this book tugged at my heart.