A true gem of a novel....
Iabsolutely LOVE this book....for the complex issues it tackles, the phenomenal writing and depth of character development, and most of all for the way in which the author challenges her readers not to judge the characters for their decisions/behavoir/ideas/actions.
When a sixteen year old girl finds herself pregnant and agrees to an open adoption of her unborn baby, a web of relationships is created between herself, her parents, her child, the adoptive parents, and the father of the baby. At any given time, you don't know whom to "root for" or whose "side" you are on, which is what makes this book so brilliant- it is written in such a way that you truly feel empathy for each character and his/her circumstance. You are able to identify and understand each characters' point of view and the reasons for making the decisions they do.
This book would make a wonderful book club selection, and I would also recommend it as required or optional reading for courses in family studies, womens studies, sociology, etc. I HIGHLY recommend this novel and can't wait to read more of Caroline Leavitt's works! (Plus, she's apparently a Hobokinite so she gets extra points!)
