At the centre of the novel is Lena, a troubled girl who has " chosen" Mason and will teach him something of desire and despair. Impulsive, provocative, vulnerable, and sad, Lena becomes haunting for Mason in ways he does not always understand. We meet Mason's first " love, " an older girl destined for an arranged marriage; his mother, who takes a lover; and a wise and erudite blind man with a voyeuristic streak, to whom Mason reads. Playful, and with deadpan humour, the novel brilliantly captures the yearnings of youth, as well as the tantalizing possibilities and the confounding absurdities that sometimes lie at the heart of our most intimate relationships.

    Now she’s back − a return less anticipated than a Browns’ Super Bowl win − to help her mom out of a funk. Sam heard it was bad, but now Mom's blowing off bingo? Sam begins to suspect that her mom’s depression may not be all it appears, but she gets side-tracked when her investigator brother Paul tosses her into a case. They’re on the hunt for a client’s missing wife, Tracy. Sam discovers she has an old connection to Tracy, but will that help Sam find her, or will it land her in a trap she can’t escape? Shadowing Sam in her hunt is Johnny Rosato, a warmer complication from her past. Sam's emotions are mixed, but her lower half has a strong opinion. An ancient and unfinished crush, a secretive mother, an aiding and abetting best friend, a hot cop, a salacious uncle, and a living garden gnome all compete to distract Sam as she stumbles down a distorted path. Can she find Tracy? And will childhood ties suck her back in for good?