Once in a while a book comes along with characters who stick with you for a long time after you finished the book. “The Recent East” is one of those books. Michael and Peter, specifically, will be around for a while. Maybe Adela, though, I don’t really like her. Grattan’s characters are well developed to the point that none of their actions seem out of place. The story, as a whole, is incredibly well written, leaving me wanting more. The book could have been 700 pages and I wouldn’t have minded one bit.