June and her sister Greta are special in their own way. Greta has jumped a course, and nobody in her group of friends knows that she is a year younger.

June is an outcast at school, but his uncle Finn understands him. Finn dies of AIDS, an illness that he has probably passed onto Toby, or maybe it was Toby who passed it onto him. In any case, Toby is the mysterious man who shows up uninvited to Finn's funeral in spite of Greta and June's parents disapproval.

Finn was quite a renown artist, and he was doing a portrait of Gerta and June right before his death. Toby and June will strike an unlikely friendship.

I really liked this novel. I have recommend it left and right, and hope that somebody takes the bait. It is reallly good.