I found this book frustrating because I never thought it delivered on the potential it had. The concept was good - the subject matter of a child deported to a leper colony led me to think it would be richly textured and deeply emotional. And yet...I felt like every time I was close to connecting with the characters, the story would cut short or the author would do too much telling and not enough showing. It wasn't until the end of the novel that I *finally* felt a little bit of payoff on emotional investment but by then, it was almost too late. I find myself wondering if this story could have been much more powerful by just taking *one* part of Rachel's life and following it and developing it more deeply. Instead, the author was so intent on following Rachel over the entire course of her life that the opportunity to explore deeper feelings and relationships between characters seemed squandered. So, just three stars because I enjoyed it but I know the story and its characters are not going to stick with me for the long haul.