Kristin Hannah likes long books. The story was very engaging, but I must admit, I think this one would have been better if it were 100 pages shorter. There were 491 pages and the first 1/4 of the book was sort of wasted. It took me that long to really get into the story. It was necessary to create the dynamic between the sisters, but I think it could have been done with more brevity.
One sister, Winona, was incredibly unlikable. I couldn't find any redeeming qualities in her. Granted, towards the end of the book, she helps her sister in a very life changing way. But by that point, I felt that the damage was done to her character and I couldn't enjoy her.
I liked Vivi Ann a lot. And, although she ends up having a very difficult time with her life and it jeopardizes her relationship with her son, I found it easy to relate to the feelings she was having. Hannah very easily engaged the reader in all aspect's of Vivi Ann's life. So when Vivi Ann did something less than noble, it was understandable. The trials of her life were so intense, that it was hard to not feel compassion and pain on behalf of Vivi Ann. I felt as though the parts of the story that focused on her (instead of Winona) were much more entertaining and easy to read.
Overall, this book was very good. The story was very good. I really liked most of the characters and reading about their family dynamics. But I do think it could have been a bit shorter.
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