I thought this book was pretty interesting overall. In the middle, there were some dry and rather boring parts, but the author nearly made up for it by her amazing character development and satisfying ending. I felt like I really got to know the main character, Catherine, as if she were a friend of mine. I liked the way that I felt like I knew everything I needed to by the end of the book. Still, it was a bit too long and drawn out for my taste. For example, I didn't need to know as much about feasting, holidays, the weather, the other villagers, monks, and fairs. To me, this was not the purpose of the book, and some of the events that occurred were unnecessary. I would recommend this book to someone who doesn't mind if the story isn't adventurous, but instead educational. This book, at least for me, was more of a story to teach me rather than to enjoy.