Maura is one of my favourite characters with modest goals that made her endearing. She’s self-possessed, takes everything in stride, and keeps working towards what she wants, dragging any obstacle along with her. Unconcerned about how others view her, Maura takes pride in what she does and lives her life in the way she pleases.

It took some time to warm up to Eddie. Actually, I think I warmed up to Christine and Eddie’s mother more than him. He’s a bit dull and passive for my taste, and while he improved slightly in the end, I wish there had been more Christine in this chapter.

Dr Jims was infuriating. He doesn’t take his own medical advice, struggles to live with the consequences, and then basically neglects his child for decades. He seems like a good doctor, a good member of the community, but an absent and oblivious father.

Nora Kelly’s story was heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal parts. Unfortunately, we don’t see much of her outside of the perspective of motherhood, so it’s difficult to see her as a complex character. But what we do get to know about her is incredibly touching.

Nessa is the underdog story you love to read. Self-conscious and unhappy her entire childhood, she manages to turn it around without realising it, gaining self-confidence and learning how to take her rightful place in the world almost overnight. I was worried Nessa was heading down the same path as Maura and many of the other female side characters in this book, but I should have had more faith in her. She seems to cross a line where she suddenly has the self-awareness to understand not only her own motives for her actions but those of everyone around her as well. It was refreshing and wonderful to read. Nessa isn’t petty or vindictive; she acts in her own interest and doesn’t let anyone else drag her down.

Richard doesn’t deserve a paragraph. Selfish, disgusting pig.

Leo had the biggest buildup out of everyone but was a bit of a letdown. Sure, her mother is batshit crazy, but it’s a pretty flimsy excuse for everything that happens. I think Foxy’s perspective would’ve been more interesting. Leo doesn’t really do anything; she floats from one situation to another, doing what is expected of her in a slightly nervous and anxious manner.

The last chapter, tying all the others together, was a little fairy story happy ending for me, but it was nice to get one last peek and where everyone ended up. Karma is alive and strong in this town, and everyone seems to get what they want – if they deserve it. This town is a lot less gossipy than most small towns, and while it’s not unlikely that some secrets could be kept, many of the big, terrible secrets stay hidden for a lot longer than seems likely. Despite this, I enjoyed this collection of what I’m considering short stories. Each chapter was the perfect length, and most of these characters were worth reading about.