A delightful story about newlyweds Monica and Adam and building a life with an instant family with the addition of Adam's daughter, Clarissa, after only 6 months of marriage. Their family unit seems to be the norm for today with the inclusion of extended family (grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-aunts), as well as friends. The characters are quite believable and sometimes quite hilarious in their reactions and interactions. I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable story, perhaps due to the realism. Ms. DuLong dealt with the issue of the death of a parent of one of Clarissa's friend with a quiet dignity and honor as well as with compassion. The tale becomes heart-wrenching, at least to me, when Clarissa suffers a serious bout with bacterial meningitis. In the course of one year this group becomes "knitted together" to become a loving and all-too-believable family unit.
