Kinder Than Solitude

Review

I loved the striking prose and the careful attention to the characters' experiences; I felt as if I truly inhabited their world and witnessed the fallout of their childhoods together. I was a bit let down by the resolution of the 'mystery' that carries the plot forward, but I enjoyed the journey.

And then there was Celia—all the Celias of the world—who made it easy for Ruyu to be who she was: their eyes looked neither at nor through her, but looked instead for themselves in her face.