milum, I guarantee the if you enjoy well-written, original novels, you will enjoy this one. As Fiberbabe mentioned, some readers might get impatient, but the book is so well researched and so internally cohesive that it's well worth the journey. As for the suspension of disbelief - yes, necessary if you are to accept that one person (Una), a woman, particularly at that time, can have all the dramatic and sometimes shocking experiences detailed in the book.

Naslund's characters all come alive within the context of Una's life - you really do care about them and want to know more than you're given. Definitely not an easy book to summarize in a review.

BTW, am very interested in "Ella Minnow Pea." Recently gave it to a proofreader friend for her birthday. Have not yet read it myself but the idea of it intrigues me no end.