Some Family Matters opens in 1974. A Labour government has been elected in the UK, barely. Voters have mumbled more than spoken, too quietly to stave off attacks on the post-war welfare state. Neil, shaped by his lonely childhood in the Fens, an area of muddy bleak beauty, begins the hunt for family, hoping to replace the one that never worked for him. He co-opts Lily as his guide and mentor as he enters a world of self-righteous young Brits, optimistic that the world is moving towards social justice and that gay is good. When AIDS and right-wing radicalism enter their lives, it turns out that sharing the care of other people's kids while navigating interracial love and bereavement takes more than glib confidence. With humor, Neil learns about the parts that fear, love and self-interest play in friendships. But has he learned enough?
