A brilliant, richly layered adventure [...] The mixture of carefully considered language and customs (that feel “authentic”) with personal conversation (that seems very contemporary), invites the reader to slip into this world like an inhabitant rather than a voyeur. For me, it was seamless. [...] There is a romance here, and it is as discreet as one in a Jane Austen novel. Nuho and Hoje are two of the most wonderful, endearing characters I’ve ever met. [...] This is a long book, and every moment of it was a joy to read.