Ali Bobrow is an otherworldly single parent with an overwrought nine-year-old daughter, a malevolent ex and his grabby new wife, and an underused artistic talent. A pushover when it comes to needy neighbors and uninvited children, she allows her house to be the local drop-in center, until she collides with Noah Glazer, who falls for her pale red hair. A solid man of science, Noah walks into her over-populated life bringing good sense, order, and security. But ten years later, Ali is drawn back into the complexities of her past; an old lover, two ex-spouses, a colleague from clown school, and a small smuggled cat all help to rock the boat."Why did it take me so long to discover the singular joys of Barbara Trapido’s novels? Why, for so many years, had I missed these witty, soulful, heartbreaking, expansive, brilliant tales? I have become a literary evangelist on her behalf." –Elizabeth Gilbert