The plot is much more complex than this review makes it out to be, but part of this novel’s power lies in allowing the reader to learn certain truths along with the characters ... Joanna Goodman has crafted a story that explores some deep subjects with sensitivity and grace.
This is a strongly political novel about the little-known injustices that mark a particular time and place, but it’s also a very personal story ... Perhaps because of this, the characters who could have easily come across as types or clichés take on a great emotional depth.
While the third-person perspective works well for Maggie’s character, it comes off as unrealistic and forced in chapters about the younger Elodie ... Goodman writes with passion about a dark episode in Quebec’s recent past.
