Family Roles

Each member of a family must fulfill a role for the group to function as a whole. A member's role depends on the unique needs and responsibilities of the family unit. The number of people available to fill the role and the skill set of each member are also factors. Through the characters of Kitty Talbot, Lady Radcliffe, and James Talbot, and "Aunt" Dorothy Kendall, the book examines how family members meet their roles for their family to survive.

Kitty Talbot is just 20 years old when she is left alone to care for her four younger sisters. Her parents are dead, and her fiance has just jilted her. Kitty has been left with an enormous debt and no income. Though her sister Beatrice is just a year younger than Kitty and Cecily is just a year younger than Beatrice, Kitty takes on the entire weight...