Amazon.com (ISBN 0451212118, Paperback)

In her enchanting debut novel Single Wife, Nina Solomon presents a witty, heartfelt, and utterly engaging book with the rare Manhattan heroine who a) isn't single, and b) doesn't work in publishing. In fact, Solomon's Grace Brookman doesn't even count calories, even when the salesperson at Barney's suggests she may want to go up a size in the new Katayone Adeli suede skirt. These reasons, plus the page-turning pace and a delightful cast of supporting characters, make Single Wife's somewhat unbelievable premise and sometimes contrived coincidences mere afterthoughts to an otherwise captivating read.

The book opens with the disappearance of Laz, Grace's dynamic yet somewhat disturbed husband. Laz has disappeared before, only to return after a few days with renewed love and affection for his faithful wife. So when days turn into weeks and months, Grace lets everyone believe that Laz is still around, simply away on business or recovering from a rough night on the town. Soon, the lie takes on a life of itself, and Grace finds herself slipping farther and farther away from the once-perfect life she thought she led. Adding color to the drama are Grace's parents and their friends the Sugarmans, whose Scrabble-potluck dinners provide a constant supply of amusement in the form of Seinfeldesque New York neurosis (the first time Laz disappeared Grace's apartment was overtaken by noodle kugels and whitefish salad).

Single Wife does not always make sense; sometimes it feels as if too much is going on at once and it gets hard to keep track of all the details. At times you may want to shout at Grace to get a clue. But it will still keep you awake until 2 A.M., promising to put the book down as soon as you finish one more delightful chapter. --Gisele Toueg