Nina Aquilina returns to her homeland of Malta to visit her elderly parents who had previously disowned her. The stay turns out to be somewhat unexpected, as he discovers that Malta is where sick spirits go to heal and move on to another phase of life. He talks to spirits and drinks beer with Jesus as he tries to rediscover his identity and the culture he left behind in his youth. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The story beautifully embodies Maltese culture. Caroline Smailes immersed herself in the character and allowed the reader to experience something unique. Although Nina is Maltese, starting a family in England and being disowned by her parents led to her losing her faith and culture. The re-exploration of its identity allows readers unfamiliar with Malta to be introduced to the rich culture. The dialogues include some Maltese words and the story takes place in places rich in history and includes local cuisine. All of these are aptly described in a way that connects you better to the story. Something I particularly liked was the pacing of the story. It had hints of monotony and repetition, especially when describing sounds. The presentation of the book was also very different. While some reviewers disliked this style, I found it effective in supporting the concept of not being encapsulated by time. There is a lack of urgency and this adds to the effect of identity diffusion. This monotony also helped me relate to Nina more easily. I could focus on Nina's depressive vibe, rather than the complicated, stilted writing. It's almost a double-edged sword. A technique that contributes to the magical tale can be interpreted as alienating writing, depending on the reader. Especially in Nina's case, a person would not be so attentive and selfless as to observe everything around them, but rather focus on who is speaking, and it is a rare occasion where they miss the abundant use of dialogue tags. I am convinced that the writer did this intentionally (just a hunch). The novel included some chapters from the point of view of two spirits (or ghosts, whatever you want to call them). In the paperback version the pages have a black border. This is a subtle (non-distracting) difference to distinguish between Nina and the ghost's particular point of view. However, their chapters have slowed down the pace. Personally, I really liked Tilly's character and chapters, but this almost had a downside when I went back to Nina's point of view. While it was interesting, and I would love to read a whole book about Tilly's personality, I feel like the author went too far into her life and distanced herself from Nina's story. I didn't particularly like that dissociation. Flavia Bellini's part, I don't know what to say about it. As a reader who grew up in a Maltese-Catholic environment, I was already quite familiar with the cultural and religious context. So Flavia's part was personally too long and a bit boring. It is a historical and religious story, repeated in this novel. I didn't find it particularly useful within the story, at least not for the length it took. That section distracted me from the main story, but perhaps was crucial considering Nina's religious background and her attempt to rediscover her identity and trace religion along that line. I read the book in a short amount of time, which is a great sign. I rated the novel 4/5 stars (loved it) on Goodreads. Most of my votes.).