An interesting story whose ending was unexpected. I enjoyed the evolution of the protagonist and his younger counterpart and sensed something would occur. The challenges faced, transformation and events leads you down a path that could go in any direction. ( )

Something about this book just spoke to me. I settled into the life on John Lincoln almost immediately…seeing the people, places and happenings of his world clearly. (Oddly, I kept picturing him as the character Richard Sherman from “The Seven Year Itch”. A man living through a hot summer in the city, away from his wife, with an active imagination…also a book editor for a small press….)

Anyway – Richard Babcock’s writing is so accessible that the reader is just there – in the story. The characters all have distinct voices and all seemed vaguely like people I’ve known. Chicago is a character in the story as well – not as much as New York is in many of the stories that take place there – but still a strong part of the story.

I also liked the fact that while Lincoln does make some unwise choices…this never becomes the story of a train wreck happening to a once good life. Stories like that quickly kill off any interest as I find myself wanting to reach into the book and shake sense into people. Lincoln makes mistakes, true, but then realistically deals with the consequences.

I’d never heard of Richard Babcock before – but now shall make a point of looking into his previous books. ( )