This one was a real struggle to finish. I felt like Buck's characters were very flat and did not evolve at all; this was a strong source of frustration for me. Edith never actually DID anything, she let others come to her, and when the time came to make a decision--well, she'd just claim to not know how to respond. And what's worse, the opposing party would accept this refusal to decide as not only an acceptable response, but somehow a deep and mystical awe-inspiring way to reply. Ugh. There was virtually no story at all, no middle or clear end. This book felt like the longest paragraph I've ever read. At least there were clear differences between the two love interest characters, at least in the beginning. However as the story wore on, Jared's actions and statements became more and more like those of Edwin.Lastly, I felt that the philosophies of love were a bit too subtle for me; the idea of a pure love is, in my opinion, utterly fantastical.