I really enjoyed this book, although - as with many books with different timelines - I enjoyed the historical story much more than the present-day story. Hannah's story is absolutely fascinating, to the point that I'd probably read a whole book about her life as a World War II refugee who ends up married to a British diplomat stationed in Cairo. Her narrative had so much to say about making sense of and living with trauma, opening yourself up to hurt after unimaginable tragedies, and the boxes women are put in. The present-day story is interesting when it comes, but I agree with other reviewers that the characters felt a bit shallow and the love story a bit strained. But the scenergy is gorgeous! This was definitely a fun, fast read that had a lot of depth.

I'm a little torn about how the author constructed the "big reveal" that Monk's father raped Mallory. The "revelation" coming so late in the book sort of felt like it was just done for shock value, and it didn't feel like we spent enough time with Mallory's emotions and experiences at all. I was surprised by how casually the information was dropped, especially considering the sensitivity and emotional intelligence with which Williams writes the most harrowing aspects of Hannah's story.