The structure of [The Young in One Another's Arms] is untidy because it tracks erratically in pursuit of the disorganized lives of a large number of characters. It takes [the] orphans and exiles scarred by the callous brutality of a technological society a long time to realize that they might reconstitute themselves into a commune-type family unit. The "pigs" in the approved fashion of the 60's neatly help them to define the kind of society they do not want to belong to. Rule tries to hold the first half of the book together in a number of ways. Ruth recounts several childhood memories that are meant to illuminate matters but only confuse them in jerky, obtrusive transitions. What is missing from the book and what might have worked effectively are details of Ruth's relationship with her daughter. Rule gives us lots of evidence about the mistakes and contingent...