The characters are engaging and real. The manner / style of Laura McNeal's writing I thoroughly enjoyed. She employed different means to move the story along and did so with great style. I marvel when writers can take you on an emotional journey....where everything thing is not black or white, right or wrong, or beautiful or ugly. There is such an array of things we can't fully understand....unless we are fully engaged in a persons life. This story takes you on an emotional journey with the back dropped of the dust bowl as much as a character as the human ones. A great read.