There’s a fairly limited sfnal element to the story – more of a technological development that could easily be not far off development. That technology enables June Jiminez Nguyen, going through an awkward phase that makes her an otherwise generally unlikeable teen, able to hook herself up to her step-grandmother, so that her healthy blood can do the work that Dolores’ poor blood cannot do to prevent the development of her Parkinsons and dementia.
The story is essentially a study of this young woman, willing to spend the evenings connected to the woman her grandma married after her grandad died, whom she hates/believes she hates. There’s a young ne-er-do-well friend, goats and chickens to be looked after, and life to be lived.
It’s a believable setting and strong characterisation. It’s a first Asimovs story from someone with several novels under his belt, and hopefully we’ll be seeing more of him in Asimovs.
