All I Love and Know

If Jodi Picoult were a Jewish lesbian, she might have written All I Love and Know, which packs multiple issues into a well-written story of love, gay rights, parenting, and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. I had a little trouble with the author's frequent head-hopping; the POV shifts quickly and without warning, sometimes several times on the same page. But I was engrossed by the portrayal of characters thrust into a situation they never expected and are woefully unprepared to confront. Of the two gay men who suddenly become parents, Matt is the more sympathetic one, even if he is a tad narcissistic and makes some ill-advised choices. Daniel is wracked with grief at the loss of his twin brother, but he is such a prick to Matt for so long that he almost completely lost my sympathy. But my heart completely went out to six year old Gal, who barely has the words or emotional capacity to deal with the loss of both of her parents and a move to a different continent. Frank does a great job of showing how, over the course of one year, she gradually starts to heal.

The Holocaust survivor Israeli grandparents (wouldn't they be too old to have been the parents to Daniel's sister-in-law Ilana?) and the clingy American grandparents are slightly stereotypical but are given a few moments to show they are real human beings coping with tragedy as best they can.

The author presents both sides of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, but her strong liberal politics and pro-Palestinian stance may upset some readers.

All in all, an engrossing and powerful read. Highly recommended.