This is a novel about many things, but its main theme is families: the ones we're born into, the ones we create, the ones that are about friends more than blood ties, the ones we fantasize about being a part of (rightly or wrongly), and, in the end, the ones that, if we are lucky and see a good thing for what it is, can sustain us through tough times both personally and globally. It helps that this book also features clever characters, snappy dialogue, humor and compassion, and sharp commentary on current affairs starting with the 1980s and leaping to the present.Publisher's description:
Two generations of an American family come of age on either side of the September 11 attacks, transforming their ambitions against a backdrop of dramatic political and environmental changes.