Yes, it's epic; yes, it is thickly plotted, but please, people--beneath very seductive and flowing prose is a strongly misogynistic book--doesn't anyone notice that women--when they are given any attention at all--are martyrs or madonnas? That having sex out of wedlock leads to serious illness and/or death? That the protagonist (Marion) is a rapist? that once Hema gains possession of the twins she vanishes as a fully realized character?
Despite claims for a patient-centered narrative, it's still all about the western-style doctor.