Well, what a pleasant surprise. I must confess to being a fan of realistic, crude, bleak sci-fi (e.g. the expanse), but every now and then a more optimistic view of the future is refreshing, if not necessary. This novel is one of those, mainly when it gets to interpersonal relations: it's full of nice people without them seeming excessively naive. And I mean Firefly-like full of nice people. Every character works hard to overcome the huge cultural differences that separate him/her from other people in his/her life (and mostly succeeds).
But there's not only good characters. World building is top notch too, especially regarding the social aspects. Every new piece introduced in each chapter fits nicely in the overall picture, which feels detailed and vivid.
Sometimes this novel feels more like a collection of short stories, but that does not compromise the final result, which is an engaging sci-fi space opera with a main focus on what it would mean (on a social basis) to have a multi-species galactic community. A must read.