Mothers and daughters and their interactions. All sorts of mothers - biological, adoptive, and virtual. There are men and boys in the book as well, but they are mainly placeholders. The novel is really all about the women and girls.

The novel is set in Shaker Heights, Ohio (where Ng grew up, although she was born in Pittsburgh) in the 90's. Ng is of the generation of the teenagers in the book, while I would be the same age as the mothers.

Mrs Richardson seems at first to be Lady Bountiful, distributing largess to the deserving needy, but is gradually revealed to be the Witch Mother from Hell, secure in her own knowledge of what is right and proper and manipulating and controlling everyone around her. Mia on the other hand, is a Wise Woman, a nomadic artist, poor and rootless, but with the gift of seeing the deep inner essence of everyone she meets, and the knowledge of how to prick it out to the surface. They meet and mingle for a while, then, inevitably, clash and part ways.

The novel ends abruptly, with each of the teenagers pointed in a different direction. But you're left wondering where each will end up, and how they'll live their adult lives.