This book is a lesson in storytelling. It is essentially a bunch of short stories fused together with the common thread of genealogy, in the way of the saga, but it transcends the saga in its societal commentary. While the subject matter is confronting, at no point does the author preach. Instead she does what a good author would do, and that is to show and not tell.
The stories are fantastical in their immersion but not to the extent that they are unreadable or unbelievable. I do think that the strongest work is definitely done in setting the scene and painting the stories of the patriarchs as the story descends or ascends through the timeline and makes it to the present day.
The story is less compelling but that could be less about the way it's written and more about me as a reader who can relate less to the subsequent generations (or as the generations become subsequent). At the same time this is a great example of literary fiction that blends with historical fiction to tell a story, to educate, to commentate, and, at the end of the day, to do what every book is trying to do: provide enjoyment to the reader.
While the book is very confronting in what it chooses to tackle, it is, at its core, a great story about the strength of the human spirit, about the indefatigability of belief in oneself, and about a period of American history that is not yet resolved.