This series of stories is largely about David Sedaris's family and getting older. Beyond being laugh aloud funny -- in an opening line, Sedaris decries aging, suggesting his penis has lost a washer causing a steady drip -- his tales are deeply moving. His mother, whom David misses terribly, has been dead for more than 20 years. His father, with whom he has never really gotten along, is into his 90s and worthy of both sympathy and scorn. His sister, one of six siblings, has recently committed suicide. Still, Sedaris manages to get together with his longtime boyfriend, Hugh, his dad, and his four remaining siblings at a beach house in the Carolinas called the Sea Section (get it?). Families make us laugh, cry, and scream. They see, and don't hesitate to point out our flaws, and they can be compassionate as together we harumph through late middle age. Sedaris is more than comedian. He is a philosopher.
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