"In his usual fashion, Maupin writes a narrative where seemingly separated lives are intertwined in the grandest fashion." ~Lucas

Twenty years have passed since Mary Ann Singleton left her husband and child in San Francisco to pursue her dream of a television career in New York. Now a pair of personal calamities has driven her back to the city of her youth and into the arms of her oldest friend, Michael “Mouse” Tolliver, a gardener happily ensconced with his much-younger husband.

More than three decades in the making, Armistead Maupin's legendary Tales of the City series rolls into a new age, still sassy, irreverent, and curious, and still exploring the boundaries of the human experience with insight, compassion, and mordant wit. 

Lucas says:

"In this 'Tales of the City' novel, Mary Ann is once again called to San Francisco. But this time, instead of a wide eyed 20 year old fresh out of the midwest, Mary Ann finds herself back in San Francisco with the heaviness and weariness of life's struggles. She is not there this time to discover, but instead reflect and recompose. 
 

Most of the original 'Tales...' cast is featured in this novel, plus some of the additions picked up along the way. I love how Maupin is able to develop his characters; his skill is demonstrated in this book by the way he makes the reader identify with even the nastiest and weirdest San Franciscans: a homeless crack whore, a demented child molester, a ventriloquist street performer clown, etc.
 

In his usual fashion, Maupin writes a narrative where seemingly separated lives are intertwined in the grandest fashion. Anybody who's lived in an American city will identify with the interconnectedness of the city in the 'Tales...' books. That quality of Maupin's writing is something that has always resonated with me. If you're a 'Tales of the City. fan, this is a must read."