I loved this book. I read it some time after reading Ms. Hume's earlier book, the extraordinarily complex, incredibly well-researched, fascinating literary tome, An Uncertain Age. That book was a pure joy to read, took me quite a while to digest, and made me constantly think, turning over thoughts in my head about what she'd said. A magnificent book. Now, this book, House of Miracles, is gossamer-light, in comparison...or is it? I read it much faster; indeed, I couldn't put it down, but when I'd finished it, it, too, made me think. What is love? The question every single person comes up against in life. How are our lives meant to be lived? What is important? What does it all mean? Ms. Hume has a delicate touch, but she "gets to you," "gets to you deeply," thereby forcing you to question, and I really liked how she does that in this book. I got completely wrapped up in her characters. With every seemingly separate story I quickly found myself searching for a connection. When would one of "my" friends now, "my" characters, show up in this particular story I was on? How would their story connect to an earlier story? The writer is very clever at this sort of thing, entwining lives and characters, making it all make sense in the end, but making you ponder on it all. I found myself sighing when I put it down; it had touched me deeply. Janet, Jack, Mrs. von Meurs. They seem simple-enough characters, but...who are they deep down? Why that couple's connection to Mrs. von Meurs? It's a book full of stories but also a book unto itself. And the writer's way with words! The very first line in the first story (Poppies): "I was born upside down, the umbilical cord looped twice around my neck." Okay, she'd roped me in immediately; I had to uncover how this was going to affect this character. Who is this character? And later on in the book: "...he raised the film to the sun, setting free all the images." Butterflies. Goose-bumps for me. See what a gossamer touch the author has. Well done, Ms. Hume!