What a charming, complicated book. This came to me highly recommended, and I can't agree more: this is a thoroughly excellent family epic set in the late 19th century England, a period I'm rather superficially familiar with. This was a nice, deeper introduction to the era.

Lots of characters, lots of detail in art and culture, lots of rumbling and changing society around the events. This is a major work, and I'm glad I read this.