From the first brief but instantly gripping chapter, I was pulled into this story and found myself wanting to learn more about these characters, their secrets, and the events that led them to their position in Franco-era Spanish life. I also find myself wanting to know more about this time in history, which I admittedly know very little about, and to understand the politics and culture in which this story is set. By telling the story through multiple characters' points of view, Ms. Sepetys is able to convey different facets of the locale and culture as experienced by both Spaniards and outsiders in order to set up what I expect to be intersecting storylines and conflict later in the book. I am eager to read the rest of the novel and find out more about this fascinating time in history.