As usual, I'm the stick in the mud, the odd man out.
I didn't really get into this story, but it doesn't fit into my narrow, writeligious world view, as Robert would probably put it. I admit this is a more literary than genre style, and as such would not be my bag.
I think it's hard to write a gripping or moving epistolary because the chronicle format keeps the reader at a bit of a distance. The main character can only be found out through their own words, so it takes a lot longer to identify with that character. Few people write about anything more than what was heard or seen, so the scene never became wholly concrete in my mind without that input.
Once she wrote about her feelings, about being small when embarrassed, she felt more like a real person to me, but not before then. In fact, when she talked about how she felt in relating with others or events, whether with Aaron or otherwise, was the
only time she felt real to me.
I'm not totally against epistolaries. I think my favorite is the song Kilkelly Ireland
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KpD_aLxz2Ls, but it's emotion is carried by the voice of the singer and the music, which this story obviously doesn't have as options.
So, it's great that other people loved it, but it was not for me.
Nate