New York: Villard Books, 1994. dj. SIGNED hardcover first edition - Texas-born, prize-winning author's fifth novel. " Opal Duffy, the clan's matriarch, is 58 years old and suffers from various ailments, including brittle bones and a swollen heart. Her biggest problem, though, is that she can't take care of everybody as well as she wants to. She blames herself for the fact that her two daughters, Joy and Clancy, are both divorced and lonely. The one person for whom Opal can't seem to spare much energy or attention is Russell, her affable, younger third husband. Russell owns the house where Opal's brood has come to roost, but he lies low amid the comings and goings of Joy, Clancy, their boyfriends, ex-husbands, and Joy's sulky teenage daughter, Heather. To add to the confusion, there is also a cat, a pet bird, and frequent visits from Russell's own problematic children, as well as his mother, Imogene - A memorable family ballad, in tune with the times, a tangle of ex-wives, stepmothers, in-laws, et al. kept together by a feisty protagonist possessed of determination and enough love to fill any heart " ( Kirkus) SIGNED and dated June 25, 1994 on the title page. 279 pp. ISBN: 0-679423974.