Amy and Lan are practically twins, growing up in a commune-style farm as they navigate from childhood to early adolescence. A gentle but engaging read, Sadie captures the beautiful simplicity and enduring hardships of farm-life, painting a timely portrait of agricultural life in a capitalist society. But this is also a family portrait. Through the innocent eyes of Amy and Lan, we experience the intimacies between the families, their struggles, disloyalties and domestic disagreements – though these are not always understood by the children.

While beautifully written, this not Jone’s best work. Characters are often hard to differentiate – even the voices of Amy and Lan can be hard to tell apart at times. It is a novel to be read quickly, or else abandoned halfway through. Though even if you do make it to the end, you may still be left wondering, what was it all about anyway?