What a beautiful book. This one was a challenge--I actually laughed a little reading the author's note at the end and seeing Nathaniel Hawthorne mentioned as an influence. I had thought that was the case while reading the book, so if anyone reads this review, be aware that this is not a book you can breeze through. It is dense, thorny, and also worth taking your time with anyway. None of the characters are 'good' in the traditional sense--they are complicated, selfish, and almost unbearably human.

You can tell a lot of thought went into these characters--the end note speaks on gender identity, sexuality, and how those things were complicated considering that, at the time the novel is set, gay people did not exist in the traditional sense. To be sure, we were there, but the boundaries aren't clear cut. They're nebulous, always shifting, and the reader is made to pay attention.

I've left out a lot of my thoughts, since I feel like this book deserves to be read with almost zero expectations. Go in with an open mind and be prepared to think. My thanks to NetGalley for the early copy.