One reason this ambitious novel does not quite succeed could be Settle's choice of the point of view. In order to bring together all the loose strands and provide a unifying focus, Settle centers the novel on Teresa, whose point of view predominates. The other characters have to tell their stories to and through her, usually bit by bit as they get to know her or overcome their initial reluctance. Their stories are thus distanced, and the effect of the novel is an overabundance of talk. Worse, the stories are filtered through the sensibility of Teresa, who seems to possess no special talent for being a confidante except good hearing and confusion about her own life (she has been seeing an ineffectual therapist, Dr. Dangle).

Presumably Teresa clarifies things for herself in the novel, but nevertheless, instead of offering wisdom, her point of view...