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Description
The acclaimed author of Chang and Eng returns with a literary showstopper— a beautifully realized novel that at its heart is the story of a woman who will risk everything to feel something; a doctor whose diagnosis brings her entire life into question; and a man who suddenly realizes that... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis
Summary
Josh's beautiful young wife couldn't possibly have hurt their only son Zach? Could she?
When Dr. Darlene Stokes ( a prominent African American doctor) becomes suspicious of Dori Goldin after examining her 8 month old son in the emergency room, their lives will all be altered. Josh... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)
Cast of Characters/Important People
- Dori: mother of Zack, and accused of hurting her child
- Josh: father of Zack
- Zack: Add a description of this character.
- Darlene: Doctor making accusations at Dori
- Charles Stokes: father of Darlene
- Martin Seidel: lawyer defending Josh and Dori
Memorable Quotes
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“Fear of tragedy prowls the margins of every decision to get married. In an emergency, companionship becomes essential where it had been only pleasurable, substantial where it had been light.The proverbial comfy, old chair has to become a life raft. Everybody will need this some day; everybody knows it.”
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“Maybe the truest way to know a person is to know what she's ashamed of.”
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“Love wasn't a thing you fell in, but rose to. It was what stopped you from falling.”
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“The sexification of kids, the toddlerization of adults: Everyone in America would look, act, think, and covet like an 11 yr old before long, thought Darlene, Chairperson of Pediatrics and Child Health, Intensive Care Unit, St. Joseph's hospital.”
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“Here's the thing: She wasn't trying to simply rekindle the romance with Josh; they didn't need that. She was moving them to a deeper place, a more spiritual understanding, she thought. Like closure, kind of, but without having to end anything. It felt as if she were being guided by some unseen hand to this. Was she proud of it? Well, yes. This was motherhood. And if she was careful and gentle and made sure nothing could go wrong (which she really could make sure), then it was necessary. Because wasn't it beneficial for the baby to be in a happy home?”
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“Darlene, in her scientific and careful style had toughed her way through life by knowing what was knowable. Neutrons, electrons, and protons seethed all over the place, the matrices of the living cell, all holding their posts. Understanding life's components was to have some handle on life as a whole; this had guided Darlene through her entire education and beyond. All things alive are built from cells and all cells come from preexisting cells;there are no exceptions.”
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“The question for Josh had always been : How much blindness does a happy life require?”
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“It's not easy to shake your personality; it follows you in its old familiar clothes.”
First Sentence
Fifteen minutes before happiness left him, Josh Goldin led his summer intern by the elbow to share in the hallelujah of a Friday afternoon.
Table of Contents
Authors & Contributors
- Darin Strauss (Author)
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