"He offered to drive her, not out of kindness, but because Desiree loved Stella and that was how love worked, wasn't it? A transference, leaping onto you if you inched close enough."
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This was such a beautiful book. The first thing I noticed, and a major running theme throughout, was how the hand on the back of the neck signaled closeness, tenderness, and home. It was so poignant when Desiree saw Stella trying to soothe with her own hand on her won neck. I think this more than any other part of the novel signaled how lonely and isolated Stella truly was.

In some ways this book felt like a response to Toni Morrison's "Paradise" - with the small insular town and focus on female identity. Bennett's ability to create such strong imagery with her emotional descriptions was astounding.

The relationship between Early and Desiree perfectly captured the yearning and earnestness of many first loves that never truly goes away. Jude's narrative, and her experience of boys who only wanted to kiss her in secret, actually made me cry. I thought also that Adele's dementia/Alzheimer's being progressed enough that when Stella returned it was unremarkable for her was a really inspired move from Bennett.

To have the twins lead such opposite lives, both in color and affluence, and to have Desiree be held up as the twin who'd achieved happiness, was really beautiful. 

And that our internal lives can never be fully visible to anyone, no matter how close we may believe ourselves to be.