The writing is beautiful and I enjoyed it. This isn't the sort of book you read quickly, and that's something I appreciate in my books.

That said, the writing style is also such that it keeps the reader at some distance from the characters. I was personally happy with that, considering my own experience with child death; I never felt like Agnes's grief triggered or overwhelmed me. Instead, it was a meaningful and thoughtful exploration of what a child's death can do to a family, the surviving children, and a couple's marriage—all things I've wrestled with in my own life.

It's not often I read books that are this hyped up. I certainly don't expect to enjoy them, hence why it took me this long to finally read it. But this one, this one will stay with me for a long time.