From Publishers Weekly Conventional American tourists observe uninhibited families in Italy; a woman learns independence when the gay man who is the center of her life vacations in Europe. Other tales explore marriage， fidelity and grief. According to PW ， ``Leavitt writes with increased authority and range about love and loss within families and among gay and straight couples.'' Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information， Inc. From Library Journal Leavitt's reputation as a deeply gifted writer with a special interest in the gay experience has been established with works like the novel Equal Affections ( LJ 1/89) and the stories in Family Dancing ( LJ 8/84). A few of these new tales move beyond gay themes--"Spouse Night，" for instance， in which a bereaved man and woman have an affair after meeting at a support group for terminal patients and their families--but even those in which gay relationships predominate are crafted with such skill， compassion， and sensitivity that one need not have a special interest in that topic to be deeply drawn into their fictional worlds. Objective correlatives and metaphors abound: empty houses， or the death of a cat， trigger sudden epiphanies enabling characters to identify with antagonists and discern whole new patterns in their mysteriously intertwined lives. Sometimes， as in the title story， one spoken sentence can turn a concept inside out in shattering revelation. Witty and elegant without the least conscious artifice， these tales are both entertaining and profoundly moving. Highly recommended. Previewed in Prepub Alert， LJ 6/1/90.- Elise Chase， Forbes Lib.， Northampton， Mass.Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.