I have enjoyed Michelle de Kretser's previous novels - all of them sophisticated, intelligent, compelling and powerful. The Life To Come is is all of these things, but it's also a little frustrating. It could be described as a series of long, linked short stories, and is probably better read that way. Some of the more interesting characters appear only fleetingly, others reappear, and one, Pippa, is the only constant, significant character. This makes it a challenge for the reader, who invests empathy with a character, only for them to disappear for ever. Michael Ondaatje does this as well, and yet I still like both writers. This is a compelling and moving novel, very real, very contemporary, but don't invest too much in any of the characters!