Beautifully written, with intimate, mundane familiarity and withOUT didactic melodrama or judgment. Exceptional (because it's so shockingly uncommon to find people talking or writing about growing up immersed in church and having left it, or doubted and stayed, and being able to represent the compelling aspects of practicing religion and/or being part of or isolated to or alienated within a religious community) - which is a big part of what makes me give it the "amazing" five stars.

One of my favorite aspects of this book (and area of focus/appreciation/wonder for me in life and culture anyway): the way confession and forgiveness were depicted in the stories. Oh, and music/song. Also: the way women's experiences with sex, gender-role expectations, motherhood, etc. were portrayed and emphasized. AND! How significantly alone almost all of the characters were/we are.

This book definitely improved as it went on, and the last chapter was an unexpectedly beautiful, harsh, almost-magical departure driving it home how deeply we want to belong with our sisters, children, family, SOMEONE, etc. Glad I spotted this on the free table of advance reader's editions in a bookstore - having read it, I can say it's worth paying for a copy if you haven't read it and I want the opportunity to buy/read more of her work.