Fantastically evocative of what Paris must have been like in the years right before the Revolution. You feel like you're really there, seeing people starting to notice the enormous disparity in the lives of the various groups of French people. Also a fascinating look at the deaf being looked at as "real people" for the first time, & the beginnings of communication by hand signing. The characters are well-written & generally likable. I expect to hear more about the romance between Anne & Paul, & I very much hope future books tell us more about Michou, the deaf artist.