THE PATERNITY TEST

Having a baby to save a marriage - it's the oldest of clichés. But what if the marriage at risk is a gay one, and having a baby involves a surrogate mother?

Pat Faunce is a faltering romantic, a former poetry major who now writes textbooks. A decade into his relationship with Stu, an airline pilot from a fraught Jewish family, he fears he's losing Stu to other men - and losing himself in their 'no rules' arrangement. Yearning for a baby and a deeper commitment, he pressures Stu to move from Manhattan to Cape Cod, to the cottage where Pat spent boyhood summers.

As they struggle to adjust to their new life, they enlist a surrogate: Debora, a charismatic Brazilian immigrant, married to Danny, an American carpenter. Gradually, Pat and Debora bond, drawn together by the logistics of getting pregnant and away from their spouses. Pat gets caught between loyalties - to Stu and his family, to Debora, to his own potent desires - and wonders: is he fit to be a father?

Michael Lowenthal is author of three previous novels. He is a core faculty member in Lesley University's MFA program in creative writing.

"A searingly honest portrait of love under fire, a fearless exploration of what it means to be an adult, a couple, a family. It is a story for our time." - Jennifer Haigh
"The Paternity Test is a complex, emotionally satisfying, and thoroughly engaging story." - Tom Perrotta
"A good, old-fashioned page-turner and a sophisticated look at the mysteries of long-term love and the convoluted reasons for wanting a child. Lowenthal writes with intelligence and passion and made me care a great deal about the fates of his flawed, fascinating characters." - Stephen McCauley