I wanted to read all of this because I hardly ever get to write bad reviews, as I don't finish books I don't like. But I'm abandoning this 3/4 of the way through. It's disappointing because I liked Love Invents Us when I read it a few years ago. But I'm more than disappointed. Disgusted, I would say, of the trashiness of this book. In Love Invents Us, the sex had a point, it changed the character, it was wrapped up in feelings. This historical fiction novel, Away, is so superficial in every way. It's just one vulgar scene after another, and in case we don't get it, half-way through the book, a train porter tells the main character Lillian, "you must keep sharp. The world is a terrible place." This is a terrible book and I'm warning you! Whether you read for characters, plot, good writing, historical settings, or smart dialogue or to gain knowledge, this book has nothing to offer. Lillian just meets a slew of shady characters with selfish, impure motives. The one man who helped her ended up killing himself. Why? It added nothing except to prove the thesis of this book about the world's terribleness. I should be fair and skim through the end. Zero stars.