This novel, Glenn Frank’s first, is the story of a man and a boy who live in different places and different eras. Each faces his own struggles. Abe Gilman is an impatient but complex old man now living in a long-term care facility. He spends his days thinking of his spirited wife, whom he adored and who has died. Elie Wasserman is a sensitive young man searching for knowledge of his father, as he falls in love with a young woman who has been promised to another. The reader is vacillated between the stories, between love for family and love for strangers, and between the memories and longings of each man.
Each story is touching and thoughtfully told. A clever and surprising literary device weaves them together. Abe’s and Elie’s experiences, hopes and, ultimately, choices, are painful, beautiful, and deeply inspiring.
