I'm a little more than halfway through, and I already feel like I've lived a lifetime with this main character (it starts when she's a child and takes her through to adulthood). I've never felt as much as connected to a character. The novel is beautifully written, historically accurate, and contains so many important lessons. It is a bit older and more mature, but I would estimate about like 13 or 14 is a good age cutoff. I'm part Japanese and have learned a lot of the culture from my mother, so it's been really amazing to see a lot more cultural things that I wouldn't have learned otherwise!