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Title: too long--unfocused
Review: A 500+ page book is a huge commitment of time. I had this book on my bookshelf for years, and decided to finally read it. It started strong but lost its way mid-way. Because I was over 200 pages into it, I decided to keep reading. It was a slow read. The portions of the book that related to the Irish Potato Famine were enthralling. However, I found the protagonist to be poorly drawn and her behavior inexplicable--the text never really delved into what made her tick. In the end I came away with the feeling that this book could have used a good editor who would have helped the author decide on her focus and then edit the text down to its appropriate length. This story could have been written in half the pages, and I would not recommend that people commit their time to reading this book because in the end you will come away frustrated and sorry you spent so much time reading a mediocre book.
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