This book is a slow starter. But when it starts, it runs. The prose is so beautiful and the title is accurate. ***Possible semi-spoiler***Pls. don't read this book if you've lost someone recently. ( )

Loved it ( )

Stays with you. Makes one think about how many women have gone underground throughout history. The characters are memorable. ( )

To be fair, this is Barr's first novel. The premise is interesting - two women become romantically involved in 19th century Nevada - but the execution is poor. The plot is outlandish and too much happens at a breakneck pace. I never got inside these women's heads, and I felt nothing about their relationship. I don't want to reveal a spoiler, but the way the women choose to solve a real estate problem just about ruined the book for me. Their decision could have made the book interesting indeed, but the author just looks at things on the surface, as a neutral observer, and you learn very little about how the women feel about what they chose. ( )

A refreshing change of pace from Barr's mystery novels. Definitely not as polished and there were annoying typos throughout, but Barr never let the story faulter and kept the reader hooked until the very end. Barr's raw talent shines through foreshadowing her successful career. Interesting plot and very tastefully done. No voyeuristic sex scenes here (or any sex scenes at all) - the subject of lesbianism is handled with integrity and the kind of restraint suited for a novel about rural America in the 1800s. ( )