There is some serious subject matter in this book. How do you feel these elements were handled?

There is some serious subject matter in this book - domestic violence, war, alcoholism to name a few. How do you feel these elements were handled? Were they balanced out by lighter moments?

I thought that the subject of spousal abuse was well-handled, although I wish it was as easy to get rid of a bad husband as this novel depicts.

I felt the difficult subjects were handled somewhat realistically. The portrayal of the battered spouse was well done, frustratingly so. However, as mentioned above the elimination of the problem was quite nice and tidy. Too bad that is not often so easy to achieve. The war segments felt quite realistic. No doubt about the horrors of war and the depravity of some. Yes, I felt as if the light moments did balance the story as well as the over arching mysteries that kept the story from bogging down in a gloomy place.

I thought the serious topics were handled well. Martha's abuse by her husband was handled realistically and sensitively, as was the abduction of Opaline by her brother and her forced incarceration in a mental asylum. The serious tone and realism meant the subjects were handled with care.

The serious topics kind of snuck up on me. I definitely wasn't expecting them. I thought the author handled them excellently.

I think they were handled perfectly. Readers understood the gravity of the violence but it didn't become the focus of the book.

This book was a fast read. I feel the traumatic experiences of the characters enhanced the storyline. The serious subjects were written with empathy.

Both Opaline and Martha were abused. Opaline abusers was her brother and the asylum. Martha suffered domestic abuse. Both situations were depicted realistically and very descriptive. I think the author did an outstanding job portraying both types of abuse.