I don't know why I checked out this book. I had seen it on several "best of" lists, and I needed to pick something quickly for my ride to work...but this is not a book I would normally check out. The whole "suburban family life turned upside down by the arrival of an unconventional person" cliche does not appeal to me.

However, that's not what this story was about...not totally. Or maybe it is...I don't know. All I know is that it sucked me in and I'm still trying to figure out why. I've read some great books with superb writing and character development, but it has been a long time since I have been sitting in my car not wanting to get out so I can listen for just a few minutes more. I guess maybe because the story is so unexpected - I thought it was going to explore one dynamic and then it went somewhere else completely. And it made me really think about what it means to be a parent.

Long story short - I highly recommend it.