Twelve years in the less than nuclear life of a nuclear Texas family – father Mason, mother Olivia, oldest offspring Samantha, and youngest offspring Mason Jr. – is presented, focusing on the younger Mason’s entire public school years, he sometimes referred to as MJ when in the presence of his father. This phase of their story begins in 2002 when Olivia and Mason, who originally married because she was pregnant, are now divorced, the marriage which was destined to dissolve due to these circumstances. Olivia has custody of the two children, and when he is around, Mason has weekend visitation rights, which has not happened in the last year or so as he stated he, an aspiring musician and somewhat irresponsible young adult, was “away somewhere in Alaska” trying to find himself. Olivia wants to eke out a better life for herself and the kids in a way that will also satisfy her own emotional needs. The two parents also try to move on with their sexual and relationship lives in the high probability that they will never reconcile, much against their children’s own wants. MJ’s growing up is affected by these circumstances and whatever the situation at the time outwardly orchestrated by Olivia (but often manipulated by others), and by his relationship with his family members – who evolve as they each grow up chronologically and emotionally – and others in his ever changing life.
—Huggo
参考翻译：
本文介绍了德克萨斯州一个核心家庭——父亲梅森、母亲奥利维亚、长子萨曼莎和小梅森——的不太核心的12年生活，重点介绍了小梅森的整个公立学校生活，当他父亲在场时，他有时称为MJ。他们故事的这一阶段始于2002年，当时奥利维亚和梅森因为怀孕而结了婚，现在离婚了，这段婚姻注定会因为这些情况而解除。奥利维亚有两个孩子的监护权，当梅森在身边时，他有周末探视权，这在过去一年左右没有发生过，因为他说，他是一个有抱负的音乐家，有点不负责任的年轻人，当时“在阿拉斯加的某个地方”试图找到自己。Olivia希望为自己和孩子们提供更好的生活，同时满足自己的情感需求。这对父母还试图继续他们的性生活和关系生活，他们很有可能永远不会和解，这与他们孩子自己的愿望大相径庭。MJ的成长受到这些环境的影响，无论当时的情况是什么，都是由奥利维亚（Olivia）安排的（但经常被其他人操纵），以及他与家庭成员的关系——每个家庭成员在成长过程中都会随着时间和情感的变化而变化——以及他不断变化的生活中的其他人。-雨果
重点词汇释义：
less than少于; 毫不; 完全不; 一点都不
public school公学(英国，尤指英格兰，为13到18岁青少年开办的私立付费学校。学生常寄宿); 公立学校
referred to as被称为; 简称; 称作
in the presence of在…面前
due to由于; 应付
visitation rights探视权; 登临检查权；临检权
in the last在最后；在终审时
or so…左右;…上下
young adult年轻人；大学生
