These individual stories were engaging, and the writing was good, but it could have used a heavier hand in editing. The story plots did not interact in a meaningful way. Some of the more interesting characters had less development than they deserved. At least one of the main characters, Stella, was trite and didn't seem to grow as the story should have permitted.
The historical setting was accurate and gave the reader an interesting structure through which to view the characters. There were plenty of subjects that a reading groups could use to spark conversation (black/white, social equality, justice/injustice, hate and hateful people, policital issues) the plot itself didn't bear much analysis.