Dan Weil, a Walter Mitty type, living with the fear that his wife has been unfaithful, leaves his family for a little while. A former freelance writer and stay-at-home father, his daydreams and fantasies far exceed his actual toils. "A little while" turns into days, then months, as he reminisces about his life and relationships and sexual obsession. He halfheartedly builds a new life for himself in a new town, gets a job, and starts dating again, with marginal success. In this story of middle-class misery, Golan uses everyday language to bring Dan to life, fleshing him out with many unattractive, yet true-to-life qualities. For example, his conversations seem like those one might overhear in a boy's locker room, which is surprising in this debut novel, yet somehow refreshing.

-- Ellie Barta-Moran, Booklist, 1/1/00