This book hooked me early and often. I have not experienced the kinship described in the novel, in my own life, but it felt vicariously real and true, even in the midst of the most fantastical moments. The first lesson of the novel is that Aunties are the nourishing glue holding everything together. This idea of a matriarchal system of care really appeals to me. Throughout this slippery, yet captivating story, the author focuses on the power of female bonding, and how those connections can provide a safety net in a perilous life, a weapon against all kinds of horrors.