This title is best read with Russell's first book, The Sparrow, but can be enjoyed on its own. Russell's book, set slightly in the future, raises many questions about our society through the lens of visiting a foreign planet both very different from earth and the quite the same. The main characters are believable as they interact with each other and with the aliens they find on Rakhat. Russell plays with linguistics, gender roles, rape, organized religion, and relationships in this thought provoking book that will generate much conversation.