Clocking in at 720 pages, this is not a read for the faint of heart.  But it is so worth the journey.  The story is one of friendship, love, family, child abuse, molestation, despair and no redemption.  The writing is excellent.  Unlike 2014’s long book, The Goldfinch by Diana Tartt, which I found long and often uninteresting, A Little Life is like a sturdy raft on a smooth stream – the length slips by like water.  

I gained insights into the loss of “self” that results from child abuse, especially sexual abuse. While reading the book, I had conversations with a friend who was severely abused and she confirmed what the book reveals – the development of two levels of existence in the adult survivor.  Highly recommended, but not for the beach.