The Family Reunion

Family reunions are a symbol of strength. When the kids come home, they come back to their roots. Normally during such reunions it is the parents who hold the family together and while Margaret is a force, the stronger force is Michael whom everyone tries to save. His existence roots all the family members. They stay together, but they do not grow. Once he dies, however, they branch out. Alec and Celia move forward in their relationships and Margaret moves to a new house that she is happy with. Now, when she thinks of John, she is not sad. Instead thoughts of him make her think of the wonder of what happened after she met him.

The novel depicts the evolution from the time the children were small and the family goes on a vacation together until the end of the novel when Celia gets married. The family tree now has branches which make the family unit stronger than it was before the new members become part of the family.