This is a beautifully written, thoughtfully constructed tale that effortlessly brings the reader through the late 1800s and into the 1970s. It's epic in terms of the time but entirely personal in terms of the characters' development. The characters are quirky and believable. I found the women interesting archetypes/stand-ins for people of their generations.



I picked up the novel because I'm determined to read more winners of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. (The Stone Diaries won in 1995.) Now, I'm determined to read more books by Carol Shields! She wrote a biography of Jane Austen, so that's going right onto my list.