Helpful Score: 1
I like Jane Smiley's writing style, so even though there were moments of confusion as to who was who, there was the enjoyment of the stories within the story. The book is long and the print is small, but stick with it because it is a tells great saga.
Jane Smiley is a good writer who researches well. The book follows a family by having each chapter taking place in one year with a few events and the next chapter will be one or two years later. For instance, one chapter deals with how family members of different ages deal with the Vietnam war, protests, etc. I gave it three stars because it did not compel me to abandon my daily routing to sit down and read more such as a great mystery would.