Parts of this book were really good, but it often felt bloated between those really good parts. Too much repetition. Also, I wish the author would’ve given the black characters the more modern treatment that they did for the women. While the characters (served of the family) were given some implications of agency, none were a focal character despite their integral part to the story. By making some of these characters as focal as they deserved, the author could have treated the characters in a more modern way, just as they did the women despite going for a semi-realistic setting for the time and place.