Nick's family faces a series of challenges: illness, separation, isolation, and alcoholism (to name a few). What makes the family different (and yet also very much the same as any other family that has struggled) is that Nick has two mothers.
It would be tempting to see that particular twist as a gimmick (either to portray a non-traditional family as being just like a "normal" one, or to get on a soapbox), but Peters does not do gimmicks. Instead, we get a very insightful and moving story about love and family that is unique ofr its setting. She shows us that while people are certainly people, that there are dynamics to same-sex parenting that differ. In the past, I've found Peters's novels to be near misses (Luna and Define
"Normal" were strong contenders though). Here, she really scores and produces a simply outstanding work. Recommended highly.
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