In a book which explores the mother/daughter relationships of four generations (um, let's see, that's three sets of mothers and daughters), it is perhaps inevitable that this book can become tiring when read from a man's perspective. Without some form of natural feminine empathy, I found myself just wanting to pick up the characters, pinning their arms by their sides, and shaking them, firmly telling them to just stop tippy-toeing around and GET ON WITH IT! Huge amounts of angst. Still, it is well written, with the jumps in timeline from past to present handled skillfully and interestingly. Nell, the main character, is likeable - most of the others are not. Enjoable and evocative descriptions of west coast rural Ireland. Frustrating because I'm not sure I have any better understanding of the mother/daughter psyche.