The Raphel children must deal with issues and concerns that are commonplace in any society where adults' dedication to humanitarian ideals and career goals conflicts with personal commitments to their immediate families. This conflict frequently affects persons in service professions such as the clergy, medicine, research, and education, where the overwhelming needs and supplications of humankind overshadow other necessities.

Ish-Kishor presents a loving Jewish family with a strong commitment to morality and religious traditions. The lively, bright, academically successful, and socially adept Raphel children would be a source of pride to many parents. But Mr. Raphel's increasingly obsessive behavior leads him to neglect and abuse his family, and he finally suffers a mental breakdown.

This realistic treatment of a family weakened by multiple sclerosis, poverty, and a lack of adult support leaves the reader with little hope. Unlike many contemporary "problem novels," which focus on a...