Do you think the Wonders function as a family? Explain your reasons.

The three Wonders begin the book as disparate people thrown together by chance. In what ways do their relationships change? Do you think the Wonders function as a family? Explain your reasons.

Yes, I do think that they function as a family. They are isolated from others and are all loners in a way. Rhona takes on the parental role, and so does Minh in a way. The others are all like siblings, and if you look at it that way they are actually like the stereotypical oldest, middle, and youngest child.

I see Kathryn as the oldest sibling- fighting her way through life to make way for the others, and having to push the boundaries of "rules" put on her so that she can thrive. She is rebellious and a trendsetter.

Leon is the congenial middle child- the peacemaker. Kind and caring, yet not wanting to carry the load of big decisions, he is the glue that holds the siblings together.

Christos is the spoiled "baby" of the family. He is indulgent, throws "tantrums," and is not as apt to go along with what the rest of the family is doing.

Yes, most definitely. Each of the Wonders and Rhona come from families that had failed each of them in some way. As Leon notes, even Christos, "to whom family meant everything" rarely mentioned his father who had disowned him. What is the essence of a family? According to Webster's it is two or more persons (I'd expand that to beings) who share goals and values, have commitments to each other and reside (usually) in the same place. The Wonders fit that definition. Today, we see many people coming together in non-traditional ways to share their journey with each other.

This small group of misfits could only be understood by each other. Christos was the only one who in my estimation did not fit well with the others, but he had his own family that he continued to see and be close to. Rhona was like the mother that every family needs to care for them. You don't have to be related to be family.

Yes, they formed a new family. They did not have the history they had with their own families and they all had the commonality of being different. It did seem they assumed certain roles. I think families can be put together from any group and blood ties are certainly not a prerequisite.

Thank you Joan for the definition of family. I agree the Wonders did form a family. The common experiences and living quarters bonded them to each other. They truly cared for each other and as different as they each were - they were protective of each other. The Wonders also bickered like members of families bicker. Their family of origins became secondary families to their little group. They grieved "Lady Lamb" and couldn't continue as a coherent "family" after her death. I thought the animals also acted as a family pets.
There was sympathy and love for them also.

Absolutely. The Wonders even mentioned it through out the book.

I think they became a family in the best sense of that term. They had very different personalities but were able to put that aside and function as a unit and develop a serious bond of caring and sharing which is what most families are about.

All of the above responses seemed insightful. I am often amazed at the differences in siblings of a biological family -- my own included. Yet, amazingly, love, caring, and loyalty can prevail; just as amazingly, bitterness, greed, envy can emerge. Many of us have other families-- friends, colleagues, those whom you hold close for only the most personal of reasons.

I feel that the answer to this is absolutely, yes. They might be the only chance they have to feel a sense of family and relax, not having to keep up the publicity persona.