Cousins

Starting with her own cousins, Garfield ( The Life of a Real Girl ) considers this rarely examined form of kinship in an entertaining study. Especially for children of small families, she notes, cousinhood offers a wider circle of sibling-like peers, as well as the solidarity of a clan of adults sharing common family traits and history. The author's interviews with families of all kinds reveal that some cousinships are marked by indifference, boredom, rivalry or hostility, while others yield role models, sex, romance and even marriage. In this context she discusses cultural and genetic taboos against intermarriage. Clearly an enthusiast, Garfield appends guidelines toward the cultivation of happy relationships with kin. (Sept.)