I like that this does not seem to be a typical war story. The war is a backdrop, but the book is about people and their interconnected lives. Also it is a story about women during the war, rather than the focus being on men, which makes a refreshing change. A number of different and interesting characters and their histories are introduced, but (here's the 'but') I didn't really believe in them, and I didn't feel the need to know what happens next. Not for me.