Most captivating is how [Rodoreda] reveals the inner life of her characters precisely and unsentimentally, often merely with a well-turned sentence. The prose is rich, almost lush, but it is also impersonal, without artificial or romanticized descriptions of an ideal past or a lost future. Rodoreda is also perfectly attuned to the differences in each narrative voice. . . . [A] beautifully muted and intricate rendering of the aristocracy of Barcelona.–Kirkus Reviews (starred review)– (2/1/2006 12:00:00 AM)