The Family Man

Happy Memorial Day! In my eyes, it is now officially summer and that calls for lighter fare in reading, which is why "The Family Man" by Elinor Lipman was the perfect book to start that trend for me. It is a cute and at times humorous family novel that I thoroughly enjoyed despite at times its lack of depth.

One of the reasons I like "chick lit" is that it never tries to be something that it isn't. When I pick up a book in this genre, I know exactly what I'm going to get and based on this criteria, "The Family Man" delivers. Although this is the only book of Lipman's I've read, I've also seen the movie "Then She Found Me" based on one of her more popular books. I didn't really enjoy the film version but after reading "The Family Man," there's no doubt in my mind that its book counterpart is most likely the better of the two.

The story follows Henry Archer, a divorced gay man who has lost touch with not only his ex-wife but also his once beloved step-daughter Thalia, who he lost in a complicated custody battle almost twenty years ago. Due to a series of spectacular circumstances though, Henry finds himself not only back in Thalia's life but also letting her live with him in his large Upper West Side townhouse. What ensues is a hilarious story of a lonely man and the salvation of sorts that he finds when he allows himself to love someone again.

This was a fun and fast read for me, something that I enjoy every once in a while especially after forcing myself to plow through more weighty novels. If you're looking for a light summer read, this is the book for you.