From the New York Times bestselling author of The Rules of Magic comes a “memorable...striking”(Village Voice) novel that vividly portrays an American family shattered by tragedy.
Ivan and Polly Farrell have two bright and talented children. Eight-year-old Charlie has his father's scientific mind. Amanda, eleven, possesses the unusual strength and determination that has made her a promising gymnast. But her strength runs out as she becomes ill—and when she is diagnosed with AIDS, her family must draw on their own strengths as they come face-to-face with their deepest fears.
“Compelling power...tenderness and perceptiveness.”—The New York TimesPraise for At Risk
“Graceful...emotionally potent...A cathartic tale that begs us, with heartbreaking eloquence, to stop looking the other way.”—Glamour
“Within pages, the reader falls in love with this very real little girl... Moving, dramatic and painfully human.”—Miami Herald
“I have rarely encountered a work that has moved me as strongly... extraordinary.”—Mademoiselle