Holy Toledo that was OUTSTANDING! What a read! What a ride! What an American classic!! I laughed, i cried, i stayed up too late. Stunner of a book. 

The literary tie-ins to epics and adventurers and times gone by; the tender sweet love of family; the caps disregard of family; the absolutely remarkable way in which the author switches between the voices of the characters; the surprising (and yet not at all) independence of the single female character; the heart breaking portrayal of the ravages of mental illness; the gut punch of an ending; the humor that catches when you least expect it: every single piece of this is a give start novel. And I'm not a bit surprised
 
Highly recommended to everyone. Simply gorgeous.