Michael Lowenthal

The protagonist of Michael Lowenthal’s engaging novel Charity Girl is one of the 50,000 women spuriously imprisoned by the U.S. Government during WWI. This sounds like a dull premise, but what bubbles up through the setup is a spirited, sexy romp through a Boston in the grip of war fever. Frieda Mintz, a 17-year-old Jewish shopgirl, likes fast cars, handsome young officers, dances, drinking, and the Red Sox; her resistance to parental authority and independent spirit mark her as something show more of a proto-feminist. The details of her arrest and exile to a women’s labor house have obvious parallels to the suspension of civil rights post-9/11, but Lowenthal wisely chooses not to force a political message onto his narrative. The period setting is vividly rendered without the overabundance of superfluous detail that makes so much historical fiction headache-inducing. What stays with the reader from Charity Girl is Frieda Mintz and her thirst for life.

From THE L MAGAZINE, January 17 2007 show less

I loved the premise of this novel: identical twins who have never been close go through the ups and downs of their relationship after one decides to move to Israel and become an observant Orthodox Jew. Sprinkle in a gay man coming of age in the 90s HIV-fearful world, and I am there.

I abandoned this book after the twins somewhat randomly decided to engage in mutual masturbation for no discernible reason. I don't think this was realistic nor added to the characterization. I am a woman so show more maybe I am naive, but I just don't think this is a thing brothers randomly do. I couldn't get past the pointless incest subplot. show less

Michael Lowenthal's novel, "The Paternity Test" is based upon a gay male couple who want their own child to complete their family. In the process of making that happen, protagonist Pat, a free lance writer, and his partner, Stu, an airline pilot, set out to explore the legal and community ways that Stu can contribute the semen to a surrogate mom. With that, we learn about the complicated and varying methods, good and bad, that such can be accomplished and the financial and legal pitfalls to show more having a baby under their circumstances. Additional complications involve the two men's families and their critical views of the procedure.

At last, the two men find a willing surrogate family, a man and wife with whom they bond to begin. Because the semen is not to be implanted in a hospital setting, this becomes a problem as the four must meet together at the surrogate's house for the monthly inseminations. Afterwards, she calls them to inform them of the results.

"The Paternity Test" is a wondrous book, far more than what we learn about the subject of insemination. It is author Lowenthal's skill with language that makes this book happen. His choice of first person as the media could not have been better for the intimacy of the six major characters, the male couple, the surrogate and her husband, as well as Stu's family each of whom present different attitudes and personal attributes that keep the tension as taut as a runaway racehorse. WARNING: if you're not careful, while in thrall to "The Paternity Test," you'll miss your stop on the bus and be late for work .

In addition to point of view, not enough can be said about this amazing writer's use of dialogue, his word choices. Each sentence snaps like a ping pong ball, volley and serve, perfectly delivered and received. Author Lowenthal's profound understanding of the human heart is also gripping, grabbing readers on the first page and holding them until the end. What's more, this author takes you deep inside the characters, and when you've finished you've literally lived this story through the eyes of Lowenthal's people. This book is not fluff, not a book you'll soon forget. Make that experience your own. Make it the next book on your nightstand. show less

Another of our "free" nation's shining moments -- during WWI, to protect the public health (really, mens' health) helpless, usually poor, lower class women with venereal disease were dragged from their homes, incarcerated in "girls homes," never faced any charges, and then put at the mercy of our somewhat rudimentary medical establishment to be "cured." This book made me really angry. Doesn't quite rank up there with the Tuskeegee experiment but close. Scary book. I liked the main character show more a lot -- she seemed very real to me. The lesser characters were equally well-drawn and although this was a difficult, upsetting read I would highly recommend it. show less