Because the book goes nowhere from 1/3 to 1/2 way. Character Driven … nope. Because these characters weren’t driving the narrative forward at all. They were stuck in neutral and revving tires in the muck.

The books starts out with a lot of promise. But scatters with too many voices. The potential of a trial peters out into nothingness. As do all the characters. As does the entire story. The entire thing is as ephemeral as the horrible west Texas the weather the author constantly bangs on about. (But she does evoke it well.)

I finished the book and while it did pick up after that 60% mark, that might have been timing. In the middle of the night I didn’t feel like picking up something new so gave in and read the last 70 pages.

The acknowledgements indicate that two chapters were published previously as short stories. Which does not surprise me. The book jumps around between points of view with very little knitting, or the various voices, together

Valentine will definitely be on my Best of 2020 list, too.

I’m sure you would really enjoy Valentine, Susan.