ALL TOGETHER: An Unusual American Family

Rigert is a newsman for the Milwaukee Tribune, and he and his wife have adopted, since 1961, seven children of various ethnic and racial backgrounds to join their own daughter. Rigert records the advent of each child, how the family attempted to give them -- particularly those with minority backgrounds -- a sense of ex-familia identity, and the resulting widening perspective of their own world re grandparents, the immediate community, their religion (the Rigerts moved from orthodox to liberal Catholicism), and social/political activism. The author admits to an occasional lapse into the ""liberal's"" self-analysis (why are we doing this? are we trying to prove something?), but with good sense he focuses on his brood of lively, very normal children. ""That's you, ha, ha, ha,"" cheerily commented black/Indian Dominic to his father, after being told of some anti-white epithets. The children are a likable bunch shrewdly aware of their unique situation and like all kids given so much public attention, not above some subtle exploitation of their own. Preachy at times but generally engaging.