Reeling from the recent death of his invalid mother, an exhausted, lonely professor goes to New York to escape his previous life. What he finds there - in his handsome, solitary landlord; in the city's somber mood and sepulchral architecture; and in the impassioned journals of Mary Todd Lincoln - shows him unexpected truths about America and loss. Holleran's eloquence lures readers into the rich current of his thoughts. Concise and beautiful... Holleran has gained a perspective more expansive than ever before.' - NY Times Book Review'