From the New York Times bestselling author of The Rules of Magic comes a "memorable...striking"(Village Voice) novel that vividly portrays an American family shattered by tragedy. Ivan and Polly Farrell have two bright and talented children. Eight-year-old Charlie has his father's scientific mind. Amanda, eleven, possesses the unusual strength and determination that has made her a promising gymnast. But her strength runs out as she becomes ill-and when she is diagnosed with AIDS, her family must draw on their own strengths as they come face-to-face with their deepest fears. "Brilliant...explosive...heart-rending."-Chicago Tribune "Compelling power...tenderness and perceptiveness."-The New York Times

Author Biography

Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The Rules of Magic, Practical Magic, The Marriage of Opposites, The Red Garden, the Oprah's Book Club selection Here on Earth, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, and The Dovekeepers. She lives near Boston.