Which of the three women do you identify with the most? The least? Are there any personality traits they have that you wish you had - or are grateful you don't have?

Jamie, Lou, and Christie are three very different women. Which of them do you identify with the most? The least? Are there any personality traits exhibited by any of these women that you wish you had - or are grateful you don't have? 

While Lou was certainly the least obnoxious woman in the novel (and the only one with compassion for anyone other than herself), I felt that her entire presence was superfluous. In my opinion, the book wouldn't have been much different without a sister for Jamie. There were times when the plot was very slow, and I think eliminating the entire character would have helped with that.

I honestly didn't identify with any of them. Reading this book was like watching a movie about current day events.

Although I understand RebeccaK's comment about Lou as a superfluous character, Lou is actually the woman with whom I identify most. Her reported social awkwardness belies the fact that she genuinely cares about others and wants to do right by them (as evidenced by her quitting one of her jobs to be more available to Jamie). In that respect (sometimes socially awkward, but truly caring), she reminds me of myself when I was her age. She also feels real compassion and understanding for the animals in her care, and I like that about her.

I identify the least with Jamie. She's too perfect (or tries to be) and is almost a caricature of a stay-at-home mom. I also didn't like that she didn't care enough about her husband to believe him about the shooting. I would like to think that someone married for so many years would know her husband well enough to know when he's telling the truth.

Christie has a personality trait that appeals to me greatly, and that is her loyalty: to Mike, to Henry, even to her new boss Elroy. Mrs. Torres has a basic honesty that comes through in just about everything she does in her limited role in the story.

I don't identify with any of them. This story was a takeoff from the times of today with the racial problems and shootings by police forces. I honestly read it with a "grain of salt" thinking each character wasn't believable, and much left out regarding the emotional help required by police departments in shootings such as the two in the book. I agree with bigred66. She said it more simply.

And why do authors have so much vomiting by characters when something psychological happens? I just don’t believe it happens in real life. That’s one reason I put this story in a fluff category—toward the romance side of fiction—yet without romance in this case!

I did like Lou best—she was a kind person.

Lou was more real to me than any of the others, well besides Mrs. Torres but we didn't learn much about her.
I could certainly relate to Lou and had wished she played a bigger part in the story but know that she just wasn't ready to.

I like and identified with Lou. I am not a mother so all that kid stuff is just unfathomable and frustrating for me. Christie, also no way. Just not how I have lived my life. She seems irresponsible.

I didn't really identify with any of them but the character I found most interesting was Christie.

Lou came alive in the book. She lived her role as the elephant keeper and was truly genuine. I found it hard to identify with Christie and Jamie. There were so many family dynamics going on with them. Didn't care for their traits but Lou was the real deal