From Library Journal Minot chronicles the family life of Gus and Rosie Vincent and their seven children， dubbed "monkeys" by their mother. Rosie， or "Mum，" is the most vibrant character， creating a secure home for her children as she tries to mask her husband's alcholism and counter his withdrawal from the family. Minot has a fine eye for detail and a talent for creating tension through half-revealed clues in dialogue. However， because the book is very short， involves many characters， and spans roughly 13 years， the development of other characters is not satisfying. The chapters are rather disparate， the first， in fact， having a different narrator than the others. The final chapter， "Thorofare，" was included in The Best American Short Stories of 1984 and is perhaps the strongest section， providing a moving ending to an otherwise uneven novel. Lucinda Ann Peck， Learning Design Associates， Gahanna， OhioCopyright 1986 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Review "Minot's prose possesses a thrilling eloquence， a heartbreaking clarity."--Newsday"Not since J. D. Salinger has an American writer so feelingly evoked the special affections and loyalties that may develop among children in a large family."--The New York Times Book Review"Striking and original.... Minot chronicles the mundane and miraculous moments that characterize family life， in prose that is exactingly realistic， yet delicately lyrical.... Few novels have so powerfully displayed the collective unity--and joy--of family life."--Chicago Tribune"Susan Minot's funny， wry and profoundly moving novel of a large and gawky family in Massachusetts is full of quiet surprises.... Minot is masterful at showing us the chaos of a young family forming and reforming itself. But it is the absolute simplicity of her observation--always selective， often eccentric--that astounds us for its clarity time after time."--San Francisco ChronicleFrom the Trade Paperback edition. See all Editorial Reviews