This was admittedly a slow read for me. But it's proof that some things are worth sticking in for and waiting on. At its heart, this is a moving story about a young boy who is coming to terms with his identity as an adoptee. He's asking the questions about his birth family, but that in no way invalidates his feelings or attachment to his adoptive family. On the surface, this is a mystery/adventure about a treasure hunt in a house that once belonged to a famous smuggler. Milo wanted a quiet Christmas with his family, but unexpected guests arrive and change the whole dynamic. But it turns out this is a pivotal event that will put to rest old secrets and reveal the answers to all the questions of the guests that come to stay in Greenglass House one snowy Christmas week.

While this moved slowly, and I found myself rereading several parts to make sure I understood what was happening, there is a strength to the narrative that made me want to soldier through. I found Milo adorable. He's Chinese by birth and ethnicity, and he's sick of that question of why he doesn't look like his white parents. He's a quiet and bookish kid with a big inner life, and he's ripe for an adventure. Milo meets a young girl who comes along with their cook, and they become partners in a Dungeons and Dragons-like game called "Odd Trails", which ties in very heavily with their quest for secrets about Greenglass House.

That mystery is extremely clever. Especially how the very house itself is full of clues about the mystery. I would enjoy staying at Greenglass House, and exploring its several floors that have stood the test of time, and gazing at the raging winter (I love winter) outside the beautiful stained glass windows. Any good mystery writer presents a group of suspects, and each one is interesting, with deep motives yet to be discovered.

The end was quite a lovely surprise. I hadn't suspected what we find out near the end, but it definitely makes sense, and there are seeds all along. That's the hallmark of a good mystery to my mind.

The author writes an afterword about her reasons for writing this novel, and that adds so much to the story. How this came out of her personal journey to adoption, along with other aspects of the genesis of writing this novel, in which an adoptee plays a major role.

I'm glad my library had this book, and for the recommendation from my friend Rane. While it took me a good while to read, it was definitely worth the reading. I'll look forward to reading other books by Ms. Milford.

Maybe I was too excited for this book. I had such high hopes and it really turned out to be just okay.

For one thing, I thought it would be so much more about smuggling and running a smuggler's inn, but actually it wasn't about that much at all. There was a treasure, and some smugglers did show up, but that was about the extent of it. It was more Milo and his relationship with his family that drove the book. Which wasn't bad, and I did very much like how his adoption and his relationship with his parents is portrayed, but it wasn't what I was expecting.

The plot twist, though, really got me. I think the greatest part is that when it happened, I sat there and thought, "I SHOULD have seen that". But I didn't, and that's partly what made it so great.

I loved the setting, but I wanted so much more from it. You have this fantastic setting, but I felt like we barely scratched the surface. Also, the descriptions were not all that they could have been.

One of the only things that actually annoyed me was the roleplaying aspect. It was played up far too much and it got frustrating to constantly have Milo and Meddy referred to by another names.

After and slow start, this book had me in one state of surprise to another. Very clever with a few red herrings tossed in for good measure!