Partners

Mark Hollander is a student and artist when he meets Holly McIvey. They fall for each other and soon marry, despite their youth and poverty. The couple struggles to succeed at work and college, and after the birth of their son, Ben, they move from Pittsburgh to Florida. Soon Holly%E2%80%94who takes a job at a women's shelter%E2%80%94begins to distance herself from Mark, eventually leaving and giving him custody of Ben. Mark tries to make it as a single parent, and in time comes to a startling realization about Holly's past. Solomon tells a meandering story of love, loss, growing up, and parenthood that suffers from slow pacing and a choppy structure. Unfortunately, this will take some out of a fascinating novel populated by well-developed, vivid characters.