Once again, Anna Quindlen tells a family story so full of insightful descriptions, you find yourself asking, "Is she inside my head?"  Marybeth Latham is trying hard to balance the roles of mother, wife, friend,employer, and daughter.  Most important to her is her role as a mother which she tentatively navigates between Ruby, her beautiful and unique 17 year old daughter,and her very different from each other, 14 year old twin sons.  When an unfathomable tragedy occurs, Marybeth must find a way to keep believing in life and continue to be a loving mother. Not for the faint of heart. Have a box of kleenex near by!

A  rich family saga about conjoined twin brothers, Marion and Shiva Stone, who are surgically separated at birth. Everyone in the family, from their adopted parents to their real father, who disappears immediately after the twins are born, are doctors. The story revolves around the lives of many characters at the Missing Hospital in Ethiopia where the twins were born and raised.  Marion leaves Ethiopia for New York after a fight with Shiva over love.  He thrives as a doctor in New York until his past catches up to him.  The story is full of intricate medical and surgical descriptions which the author, a doctor himself, describes so beautifully even the layman can understand.  Engrossing!