Gypsies, by Robert Charles Wilson

Gypsies is an early Wilson novel, and it shows. There's no worldwide event that must be lived through and coped with by the characters, merely a set of characters with unusual abilities.

Gypsies follows a small family whose members all have the ability to walk between parallel worlds. They start out in a world that is basically our own, which is where they grew up with an abusive father.

The novel starts with the two sisters meeting for the first time in many years. One of them has a son now (Michael), the other has been living in a parallel world with a more relaxed pace than our own. Both are hiding from a man they call the Grey Man, who has appeared over the years to them, and who has now started shadowing Michael.

The sisters decide it's time to find out why they alone can walk between worlds, so they go back home and eventually get part of the story from their parents. Meanwhile, their brother, who hasn't been heard from in years, pops up again with more answers.

The final resolution is satisfying, but not overly so. The novel was more enjoyable to read than to finish, although I have to say that's been true of all of Wilson's books I've read so far.

Overall, though, it's an enjoyable read.