Another small literary miracle ... It is a deep, moving and vibrant saga. While compact in scope, it gets a lot done and (somehow) never comes near its most obvious risk — sentimentality ... Van Booy’s writing is trenchant and beautiful.
The motivations of the characters — Helen, in particular — are nuanced and only gradually revealed, but the writing is pure and unadorned ... In its quiet, loving way, Sipsworth feels as rare and special as a friend.
This novel, for all its suggestion of real life, sometimes seems to read like a fable. When a crisis puts Sipsworth in danger, the resolution strains credulity, but Van Booy’s yarn proves so appealing that readers will suspend disbelief ... This is a book to read as much for pleasure as for instruction, and Van Booy, a master stylist, gives us plenty to savor. There are beautiful sentences on every page.
