The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard

A very good book about families and relationships. Ruth Plank, the 5th daughter in a family of only girls, is artistic and seems not to fit in with the rest of her sisters and parents, who are practical New Englanders.  Her parents have always been friends with the Dickersons since the birth of their daughter, Dana, coincides with Ruth's.  Dana is practical in a family of arty, unorganized, somewhat intinerant parents and brother, Ray.  Both girls grow up thinking that the just don't fit in with their families.  Dana forms a strong bond with Ruth's dad and his love for farming, while Ruth goes of to art school and earns a degree in art, not unlike Dana's mom.

Ruth, who has always had an attraction to Ray Dickerson, ends up running away to Canada to be with him.  When she becomes pregnant, and they tell the happy news to their families; they are met by a strange silence.  Next, Ruth's mother comes to fetch her daughter and takes her to have an abortion.  Ruth can not understand why, but all the secrets will be revealed at the end of the book. 

To reveal more would spoil the ending.  The writing is very good.  The story is told by Ruth and Dana, with a little of Ruth's father thrown in to draw the views of the two girls togehter.  Many secrets are unraveled by the end of the book.