I have been an Alison Lurie fan for 20+ years and have enjoyed all her other books. I eagerly bought this one in light of my past good experiences and have never been so disappointed. This is not a finished work; it is a rough outline of a plot with cardboard characters, no motiviation, dull description, etc. that neither the author nor her editors cared enough about to turn into a finished work. It is also surprisingly poorly written; Lurie is usually a fine stylist. But, really, what is one to make of sentences like "'Okay,' Lee answered repressively." (see p. 221). These words are not only awkward and graceless, but also totally devoid of meaning. Skip this one; read War Between the Tates, Foreign Affairs -- or anything else.