It is 1987, and only one person has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus -- her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn's company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June's world is turned upside down. But Finn's death brings a surprise acquaintance into June's life -- someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.
This was a lovely, realistic portrayal of how AIDS impacted one family. June's parents' difficulty acknowledging Finn's decade-long relationship was incredibly realistic, certainly in line with non-fiction accounts I've read of that era. Though it was clear that June's mother loved her brother, there was a tragic indecency in Finn's death in her refusal to speak openly about his sexuality, his partner, his disease. The stigma attached to his death was clear in so many little places throughout the novel, most notably in Greta's reticence to be known as Finn's niece. June was a complex character, thoughtful but still naïve, realistically fourteen. The main disconnect for me was that I couldn't always get a good grasp on why June struggled to fit in. Her obsession with the past and her closeness with her uncle are clearly a function of the fact that she feels like a misfit, but I didn't entirely understand why. That said, I'm a little annoyed that it took me six years to read this after marking it "to read" - it was great!
