content: I love this book. It traces a family of women through thousands of years of history as they guard one of the most sacred books ever. It has a real sense of continuity and even though there is only a 100 pages or so dedicated to each woman all of their stories are developed thoroughly so that you feel strongly for each one. You sense the growth of a country and notice the changes of the world and it's attitudes as you move through the book. My favourite story was Ellen's - she was a really strong and admirable character. I've not read any other books by this author but I will try and find some. This book entertained me for several hours - I couldn't put it down!