Although I admire Robert Pecks's effort, I was not satisfied with this book. I hardly felt any emotions for the characters, and I had to force myself to finish the book. There is no definite plotline-- the entire book is like a journal that the main character wrote. There were hardly any significant events, and I do not think the Shaker way of life was portrayed in its true sense. After the climax, the main character suddenly matures from a foolish boy to a well respected man. I find this unbelievable, and I do not think that the book developed itself evenly, if at all. My last comment is the fact that this book is so uneventful, it leaves unsatisfied.