Hidden Pictures

The elegance of Wolitzer's novel is its authenticity. Most actual coming-out stories do not feature anti-gay violence or a rending of parent-child bonds. Anymore. Wolitzer's characters live authentic, believable lives; still, they are adorned with the fears and questions common to those who have chosen to live a more honest and less-certain life. Wolitzer does a beautiful job of nuancing that transition, showing us details that one would expect to know only from experience. The sense of inhabiting the same world "before" and "after," just from different sides of the looking-glass.