All That I Know and Love

All I Love and Know is a well written novel, one that took it's time to reveal itself, as Judith Frank develops her characters that seem human. There are a lot of great qualities in this story. 

I was drawn in to the plot of Daniel's brother and sister-in-law's deaths at the hands of a terrorist in Israel, leaving two children, Gal and Noam, to be raised by Daniel and his partner, Matthew.  

This created tension as the idea of a same-sex couple raising a family is dealt with as is the idea that one side of the family won't be as easily included because the children will be taken to the United States to be raised. Uprooting the children from their home is another controversy the family must discuss, and there are no easy answers.

While Daniel is Jewish, Matthew is not, and their religious backgrounds and upbringing come in to play in the way each deals with the tragedy that has occurred.

All of this is what kept me reading, yet there were two problems I faced while reading this novel.

I really liked Matthew and Daniel as a couple, yet I felt in some ways Frank created a very stereotypical gay couple, allowing Matthew to stray when things became difficult with Daniel.  I found this a bit disappointing, and still wonder whether this was a necessary part of the book.

And every once in a while I wasn't sure who was narrating, as Gal seemed to be telling her story, yet it felt as though the narrator was an adult, while Gal was just six years old.

As I have read other glowing reviews, I realize I am in the minority here finding fault with All I Love and Know.  I will happily read Judith Frank's work again, and enjoyed a great deal of this novel.