The coming of age story of two sisters who have to deal with a series of difficulties and tragic events, including disfunctional parents, the sense of not belonging, sucide, alcholism. I enjoyed the strong women characters who populated this book, and especially Hyacinth, the girls' grandmother: hurt, wise, fierce. I also enjoyed the descriptions of Barbados, its food, towns, landscapes and people. The way the story and the characters developed, however, was a touch too predictable, leaving little room for tension, indecision, and lack of resolve, which would, in my view, added to the book. The bad guys are bad, the good guys (ladies) are good, and get even better as the book goes by. That being said, I liked it. I read most of it on a long plane journey, and, in that context, I appreciated that its straightforwardness, which made for an easy read, and a good travel companion.