This is a quiet novel, set on a Southern Army Fort. On the first page, Carson McCullers tells the reader what will happen, but that does nothing to diminish enjoyment of the novel. McCullers is a master at description, immediately immersing the reader in the minds of these complex characters. She is not afraid to make her characters unlikeable, thus making them more realistic. I picked this up to read with two book buddies, but it is the third of McCullers' books that I have read. I will continue to try and become a McCullers completist. This novel was her second and was not nearly as well reviewed as The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, but it stands on its own as a worthy novel.