There were so many fascinating details about these women's lives that I found myself disappointed again and again by the speed at which they were touched on and then left behind. I would have liked to get to know some of them better. 
 As a result I read this in lots of small chunks even though it's a short book. The lack of character continuity made me lose interest quickly, but all the great glimpses of interesting stories made me want to pick it up again. 
 On the whole, well-written and enjoyable/heartbreaking/interesting.