A most interesting read...

I just finished this book and realized I didn't want it to end. I have had it sitting on my nightstand for at least 6 months and picked it up a couple of times, read a few pages and put it down again. Then after packing up the house, I picked the book up again. Why...who knows! I just know that this time - it stuck. The characters were great, the scenery divine, the description of cultures amazing.