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The biggest question we must as me about this book is: Is it better than On Beauty? Simply, eh, probably not. While I truly enjoyed this novel and I recommend it to everyone that I know I still think On Beauty was better. It was just more fitting to the things I am interested in, the places I have been.

This is a wonderful novel though. It follows the story of two men, their three children, and the lives they impact throughout London, a tale that is complete only because of Ms. Smith’s intrecate knowledge of London and the way she drives location to be an aspect of the story. The piece becomes a memoir of the city, of generations, of religious movements, war stories, and rebellion.

Her prose is both dense and beautiful, the layers that bring together time, space, and personality make all of her novels work. Though this novel which is some 450 pages long, is quite a read, so pack a lunch.