This was a hard book for me to read, not just because of the control issues, but also because of the "predestination" and visions -- the book is set up so that you know various horrible things are going to happen... and then they do, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

It has a lot in common with Octavia Butler's Kindred, in that the female protagonist is in a situation where other people have near complete control over her -- and in fact, part of the plot is based around the idea of control, and how subtle it can appear while being utterly brutal behind the scenes. It also felt stylistically similar to A Girl Rides Through in places, although that's more about how the protagonist effaces herself.

It's a good book, and well written, but I still don't understand it.