It is 1987 and AIDS is not understood; for 14 year-old June, it means the death of her favorite person, her Uncle Finn. A well known artist from NYC, he was the only person who understood and shared her eccentric tastes; even her sister Greta, whom she was once close to, has grown apart from her. Her love and her youthful obsession for her uncle Finn leads her to develop a friendship with his lover, Toby. She secretly rides the train into the city to visit him, knowing her parents blame him for Finn's death. 
 This is a beautifully sad story about loss of love, not just death--it's more about the love. In the sisters' relationship also there is some love lost, but then they are able to find it again... 
 Considering the topic, this has the potential to be overly dramatic, but the elegant writing and June's keen internal voice render this story a poignant coming-of-age. "I cling to Toby, his ribs pressing against me like train tracks heading far, far away." 
 Ahh, I loved this. I love this line at the beginning: 
 "I can't even really sing, but the thing is, if you close your eyes when you sing in Latin, and if you stand right at the back so you can keep one hand against the cold stone wall of the church, you can pretend you're in the Middle ages. That's why I did it. That's what I was in it for."