This book definitely had a very different feel and context about it. I loved the idea that James "felt or saw" colors, etc. based on the paintings and people in his life and how this changed according to some of the major events in his life.
I wish that the the author would have made more of a connection or explained more about Raul's accident and what may have happened to his sister at that same moment. I felt a little lost in that part of the book. I probably would have rated it a 5 had this been a little clearer.
1980 was certainly an interesting time and it brought back memories for me. I really enjoyed the time frame and the backdrop of NYC and the art world.

Although I did enjoy the book, I thought the writing could have been better, a little more literary for this type of book. this is a story that would have been wonderful had it been written by Richard Russo. I love the premise of the book but could tell where the story was going right from the start primarily based on the comments of Judith,Rose's daughter. Once I was into the book(about a third of the way),the pace and plot kept me wanting to read more to see what happened to the each of the family members that were highlighted. In that sense the writer did a good job of making me care for the characters.