This was really nicely written, very evocative, with multiple layers and a great sense of place. I suppose that it helps that it is set quote close to where I live, but there is more to it than that. I have struggled with a couple of other books by Tommy Wieringa, but this one was much better and really gripped me. All sorts of nice phrases to set you thinking, such as, "Achter de ramen probeerden de mensen hun verlangens zo mogelijk in overeenstemming te brengen met hun mogelijkheden" ("behind the curtains, the peopled tried to align their desires with their possibilities as much as possible").