I finished this book a week ago and I have struggled since then to find the words to describe it. A multi-year saga that follows twins Rasheed and Rasheeda as they grow up and start families, this novel is certainly epic in terms of plot and themes. I was intrigued by the writing style, which is more of a historical/story telling style versus a more contemporary style. As such, I failed to connect with the characters in any significant way. They felt more like characters in a story than living humans. I do think the author did a good job discussing the differences between how men and women are perceived, and there were certainly a lot of other themes introduced, like religious differences, that provided tension in the story. At the end of the day, there is no doubt that this is a well crafted story, and one I would recommend to friends looking to try out more types of historical fiction, but I just failed to connect with it fully.