A cast of characters who are hurt and who often misunderstand the hurts of other. This is a book about being human, about coping with loss and tragedy, disability and mental illness, about hoping for a better world and shaping what you can of the world into something better. It is sad (my favorite character died). And I am so glad I read it. Gender nonconformity is not front and center here, but it is casually accepted. Gay marriage is honored even if the laws forbid it, even if society is against it. It tackles many other things and just allows them to exist in the messy conundrum of humanity.