This book was even better than expected. It is thought-provoking, wonderfully written, and told in an interesting way, mixing flashbacks with inward thoughts and dialogue in the flow of the narrative. It is particularly helpful for our present day which still deals with issues of race and the role of the government, both of which stand at the center of the conflict in the novel. My only disappointment was that the end seemed too quickly and inadequately resolved, but in some ways that leaves the reader to continue pondering the questions raised by the book.