"Set in New York City in the heady aftermath of World War II, The story of a young woman whose rosy future is upended in a single instant. Raised never to step out of bounds, educated in one of the Sister Seven Colleges for a career as a wife and mother, torn between her cousin Mimi who is determined to keep her a "nice girl" - the kind that marries a doctor - and her aunt Rose who has a rebellious past of her own, Fanny struggles to raise her young...

The author's most political novel since The Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meany, this novel is an intimate and unforgettable portrait of the solitariness of a bisexual man who is dedicated to making himself "worthwhile."

Buckton, Indiana, 1956. As post-war America brims with new opportunities, a young woman discovers the courage to follow her dreams -- and her heart. Gwendolyn Foster's life seems like a dream come true. A bright future in front of her, the successful, traditional man her parents wanted at her side. What more could a girl ask for? But Gwen has a different dream altogether -- to be a writer -- and she won't rest until it comes true. Strong arms to support...