After This by Alice McDermott

This is the story of a low to middle class family which begins with the marriage of the parents just after World War II and ends as the four children come of age. It is recounted by incidents that illuminate them. The druggy 60s figure in the story, as does the Vietnam War. The picture is of a family that spends lots of time together, but the inevitable separations between them are clear. The underlying goodness of the characters is in evidence. A neighbor man who is a nurse happens to appear just as the mother goes into premature labor with the fourth child, and saves the baby's life. The family takes in the unlovable former work-friend of the mother when she veers off course. An appealing read.