This is a masterpiece. I listened to it, and the narrator Adepero Oduye does a perfect job--I highly recommend this as an audio book. I could not stop listening to this. It pulled me in from the opening and never let go. Braithwaite is the textbook example of an author "showing, not telling." It is amazing how much she tells about these two sisters and the world they live in, through the dialogue, action, and the details shared. The story is so clearly and elegantly told. And even if you are turned off by the subject matter (I was) don't miss reading the book for that reason. It is a comic novel. Although, at the same time, it is moving. And definitely unforgettable.