A little too easy to read if you know what I mean- written at a 8th grade reading level. I thought this book was a little too long and lacking any any good characters. Ria was unrealistically "perfect" - great wife, mother, cook, friend, daughter, sister and homemaker. The other main female character was more interesting and less predictable. Both women were quite different. While Ria was warm and open - Marliyn was cold and private. Although they both had experienced terrible tragedies, I had trouble feeling sorry for either of them.