"Set against 25 years of cultural evolution, the love between two women outlasts a 28-year age difference, romantic dalliances, illness, and the confines of the closet. Along the way, this protagonist ponders the nature of life, death, religion, and philosophy with help from the imaginary counterparts of Socrates, Hildegard of Bingen, and Suzanne Pleshette; samples casseroles with names like Vegetables Psychosis and The Tubers Karamazov; and forges a family with her best friend, Jeff, and assorted quirky characters who wander into their lives"--