Any Other Family

In Brown’s rewarding latest (after The Light of Paris), two Denver couples and a single mother adopt four biological siblings and attempt to keep the children connected through a blended kinship. The three families are on vacation together in Aspen, Colo., for two weeks when the children’s birth mother, 24-year-old Brianna, calls to say she is pregnant again. Tensions have already started flaring among the three adoptive mothers. Tabitha Basnight, mother of the twins Taylor and Tate, presides over the group’s frequent get-togethers and is clumsy with personal boundaries. Introverted single mother Ginger Kowalski, who adopted fifth grader Phoebe, the oldest sibling, after Brianna’s grandmother died, manages Tabitha’s controlling nature by not living nearby. Sleep-deprived and financially stressed Elizabeth Evans adopted Violet, a colicky baby, after years of unsuccessful fertility treatments. The close quarters in Aspen contribute to a dramatic airing of long-simmering resentments toward Tabitha, which threatens to upset the arrangement. Though Brianna is painted only as irresponsible and immature (and comes across as narratively convenient) Brown has a sure hand in portraying the adoptive women; their smart, lively dialogue sparks as the characters try to define the boundaries of a family. Overall, Brown entertains with her colorful cast and engaging conceit. Agent: Elizabeth Winick Rubenstein, McIntosh & Otis. (July)