By the author of Little Children, this novel is a story which shows the divide between the Christian evangelical movement and the liberal middle class. A teacher, Ruth, was assigned a sex ed course in her local high school which would not present birth control other than abstinence. Her views and opinions for a more open and realistic curriculum put her in conflict with her school and community. She became romantically involved with her daughter's soccer coach who belonged to a fundamental Christian 'tabranacle', causing another divide for Ruth.
