Jo, his other mom, takes on the responsibility of having all "the talks" with Nick. They talk about sex, respect, anger, addiction, illness, and grudges. They also share porn magazines. Author Julie Anne Peters

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When we same-gender couples start families of our own, we always worry that our children will pay for our choices--not unlike the worries of nongay parents. In Julie Ann Peters's new novel, Between Mom and Jo (Little, Brown and Company), Erin and Jo decide that a family is more important than any fears of what might be and have Nicholas Nathaniel Thomas Tyler (Nick, for short).

Nick's torment starts in kindergarten, where a confrontation about his two moms results in the nickname "Dickless Nicholas." The two moms fight about whether it is OK for Nick to fight back. Thanksgiving is ruined when old grudges force Nick to declare loyalty to both moms. Time passes, and Nick is mortified when his two moms give his homophobic third-grade teacher grief for venting her homophobia on Nick. Then, as the moms age, major life trials ensue, and they work through them as a loud, but loving family. Throughout it all, Nick is secure in the knowledge that he is loved, valued, and cared for by both his parents.

Nick sees both women as parents, each with her own role in his life. Birth mom Erin is the martyr/caretaker--at least until she decides to go to law school. Jo, his other mom, takes on the responsibility of having all "the talks" with Nick. They talk about sex, respect, anger, addiction, illness, and grudges. They also share porn magazines. Like any happy child, Nick gets his needs met by the combined efforts of both parents.

But, as the years go by, Erin and Jo grow apart and divorce. Our families don't always last forever, and we often forget that visitation agreements are for the children as much as for the parents. Having failed to execute the proper legal documents, Jo has no recourse when Erin refuses to allow her to see or talk to Nick. All hell breaks loose whenever Nick finds a way around these restrictions, a healthy response to his birth mom's seeing him as property.

Birth mom's new partner, Kerri, moves in. Nick acts exactly as you would expect any adolescent to behave when he is isolated from one mom he loves and forced to interact with a new mom he hates. A deep and scary depression sets in.

Kerri now has to deal with the stresses of a new relationship, the reality of living with a surly, depressed adolescent, and the choice to be the responsible grown-up.  

This well-written novel from Peters--who lives in Colorado with her partner, Sherri, and whose numerous young-adult and children's titles include Far From Xanadu , Keeping You a Secret , and the popular Snob Squad books--explores what makes a family, the special hazards of a same-sex-parents household, and, most movingly, what happens when that family falls apart. All players are faced with hard choices. Sometimes they rise to the occasion. Sometimes they are petty. Everyone gets bruised and battered along the way. But, in the end, simple compassion and common sense win out. Erin learns to fully love her son. Jo learns there's a lot to be said about being honest and true. Kerri learns that, like it or not, she has responsibility toward Nick. And Nick learns, once and for all, that love comes in all kinds of packages.

Angel Curtis frequently reviews books for OutSmart.
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