South of Topanga (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781662451072)

In his midsixties and with a terminal cancer prognosis, Gary becomes obsessed with not having had sons. With his wife away on a trip, he unofficially adopts young, twenty-four-year-old Michael, looking to him for salvation. Independent Michael, willing to help, becomes caught in Gary's increasingly unreasonable demands.

Meanwhile, Gary's wife, Hannah, has come to a private decision about her marriage. She returns home to find Michael in the center of her husband's life, a mountain of debts, and a cancer scare preventing her from following through on her decision. With tensions between Gary and Michael mounting, Hannah, first trying to be a mediator, finds herself falling in love with Michael. When Gary receives word that his cancer is in remission, his mental problems replace the illness, and all three adults must face decisions about their future.