| Polly and Ivan Farrell are a nice, small-town Massachusetts family, with two kids, in 1988: Amanda, eleven, an aspiring gymnast, and Charlie, eight, a bright boy interested in science. Their lives change dramatically when Amanda is suddenly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, the result of a blood transfusion five years earlier. The family's attempts to come to terms with Amanda's condition create a ripple effect throughout others close to the Farrells: Polly's parents, Amanda's gym coach and his daughter (Amanda's best friend), Charlie's best fried, Polly's business partner, a middle-aged woman with possible psychic ability, the school principal, an HIV hotline worker, and the Farrell's family doctor and his wife. The narrative switches so frequently among the characters that the novel is far more concerned with the coping and mutual support of a community than that of any individual. Although the subject matter is unhappy, the tone is not *just* a tearjerking downer; amidst the grief and fear, Hoffman manages to highlight positive relationships and convictions that strengthen the characters (including Amanda) during Amanda's illness. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book? - thoughtful Time/era of story - 1980's-1999 Family, caring for ill Yes Who is sick? - Daughter because he/she is - physically ill Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Main Character Gender - Female Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Nationality Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 2 () United States Yes The US: - Northeast Small town? Yes Writing Style Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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