Having read The House of the Spirits right before this book, I wasn’t quite as moved by the gravity of the situation in which the characters found themselves. However, I did still enjoy Allende’s treatment of her characters here, as the book felt like a series of character studies all compiled here in this novel. it was evident that Allende put a great deal of research into this novel, and I learned more about the California Gold Rush than I have from anywhere else. I was somewhat disappointed with where the book left off, however, since I immediately started on Portrait in Sepia after this one, I felt better about the ending.