Well, the rewrite is done.  I didn’t cut nearly as much as I though I would.  I think I eliminated about 7k words, and then added about 3k new stuff.    The flashback is now three parts, spaced out at what I think are logical points.  It’s also shorter by about a quarter, and  I think I managed to keep all the parts that let the reader really get to know the characters.

It think it flows better, we’ll see what my readers think.  Assuming they can force themselves to read it again. Reading a book twice or more is not something a lot of people do.  It takes time, and time is not something folks have a lot of to give away. So, thanks!