To Night Owl From Dogfish

The novel explores the question of what makes a “family,” as well as the range of forms that a family can take. Bett Devlin and Avery Bloom come from “nontraditional” families insofar as they both have single parents who are gay. Single fathers are somewhat unusual in the eyes of society, as childrearing has traditionally been associated with mothers; Sam Bloom’s and Marlow Devlin’s orientation further confuses people, to the point that Avery wants a bumper sticker that reads “YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE MARRIED TO BE A GAY DAD” because she is so tired of people’s assumptions about her family.

The novel thus establishes that a broad spectrum of situations can exist even within one “type” of family structures, such as those with LGBTQ+ parents. The contrast between Avery and Bett’s biological mothers expands on this diversity. Whereas Bett’s mother was a paid surrogate she never met, Avery was conceived when Sam had one “crazy night” with Kristina Allenberry, his best friend in college. Although Avery’s parents were important to each other, they were never a couple, never married, and never really co-parented—at least until Avery’s relationship with Kristina changes.