The Lies That Bind

What does it mean to be a father? That's the question DeAngelo thoughtfully and exhaustively addresses in this serious-minded legal drama. Peter Morrison, a successful, middle-aged, self-made Boston computer company executive, has been divorced from his wife, Joan, for eight years when nagging suspicions about the paternity of their 13-year-old son, Sam, induce him to submit to a blood test. Pete has always been the perfect father, affectionate and generous, and even after he discovers that Sam is not, in fact, his son, he plans to continue to fill a fatherly role. But a confrontation with Joan makes it clear that nothing can ever be the same again. Cutting off child support after Joan denies his visitation rights and issues a restraining order, Pete lies by omission, conveniently forgetting to tell his lawyer about the blood test, which, of course, is soon revealed, upsetting everyone involved, especially Sam, who begins cutting school and shoplifting. When Pete decides to sue Joan, trial in family court is an acrimonious, explosive affair. First-timer DeAngelo, a family lawyer out of the Massachusetts attorney general's office, creates believable characters; Sam's conversations with his father are authentically pitched and moving. Yet the novel belabors its themes, weighting endless talk over scene setting. Still, DeAngelo delves intelligently into legal and emotional issues. (Jan.) Forecast: The publisher likens this novel to Kramer vs. Kramer. The comparison is apt, and film rights have already been optioned by Sony-Tristar. Given the current interest in DNA technology and the perennial issue of child-custody in a divorce-prone society, this book may enjoy substantial sales, boosted by author appearances in Boston, New York and Philadelphia. BOMC alternate; audio rights to Brilliance.