I have a lot of thoughts about this book. I'm not sure I'll be able to convey them all here. Mostly, I'm in awe. This is a stellar debut that tells a story over 100 years, balances a wide cast, and develops characters over time, in their own perspectives and otherwise. It's a powerful tale of communication and how what we say, and how we say it, matters. A story of intention, and how we can be more than our instincts. A story about peace, and what happens when the peaceful must go to war. This book covers a multitude of themes, each unfurling like flower petals after a storm to show us more than we ever imagined.

A truly fantastic read.