Deborah Edery

So far my favorite series. The plot is not predictable and the actors are so talented and look like real people, not supermodels. The sets are real stores with hundreds of years of tradition and the viewer gets to feel like a tourist with a close-up view of artisans and ancient architecture. Bad things happen and people plot to destroy and harm, including getting revenge but just as the viewer predicts what will surely happen next, something totally unexpected occurs. In spite of a lot of pain that is heaped on one family, there is always a counterbalance of joy and love simultaneously. It also speaks to the generation gap between the traditional family where the father controls the children and grandchildren under one roof and determines their future and marriages and the generation of "adult children" who seek to choose their own path. More often than not, I find tears streaming done my face without realizing it and not because of something tragic, but because I am watching some beautiful moments in this family's life.