I gave this novel by Eva Crocker a three but it’s stuck with me for a few days and I’m wondering if it should have been a four? Protagonist Marcy is an emigré in Montreal from Newfoundland who has left a complicated situation with her ex-girlfriend and work to make her way in the big city. Navigating a new and evidently unhealthy relationship while barely keeping her head above water in the gig economy, I found myself pulling for her and compelled by her optimism and determination to discover a path to the freedom to be herself. It’s not a fast-moving story and doesn’t go anywhere in particular. Covid-19 feels a bit tacked on. But Marcy’s pluck and resourcefulness, and utter lack of guile, will probably make her one of my favourite characters this year.