In Bram's eighth novel, a longtime married couple'srelationship attempts to survive the twists and turns of love, life changes,and political upset. Cohabitating in Williamsburg, Virginia for more than twodecades, Zack Knowles and Daniel Wexler are handsome men in their late 40s;Daniel is an art teacher, and Zack, a psychiatrist. Bram paints these men inmuted, sepia tones, both barely treading through the stagnant waters of acomfortable, reliable relationship encasing a sex life that has flat-linedyears ago.

Bram, an often brilliant novelist and a whiz at characterdevelopment, sets these interpersonal wheels spinning immediately upon the newcouple's arrival. A lively dinner engagement has the quartet discussing art(the creatively gifted Abbas is the local college's resident visiting artist)and life with a verve that Zack and Daniel realize has been missing from theirown repartee. After much cocky debate and artistic criticism, horny Danielfinds much to savor in Abbas' hairy butt, since Abbas is also free-balling itin his own "open marriage." A heated, extreme affair ensues as Zackand Elena watch and issue random commentary from the sidelines.

The novel ebbs and flows as effective domestic dramas will,but Bram seems to believe the hot and heavy melodrama and furtive spit-swappingis not enough (it is). He then throws in a political subplot that boils thismasterfully simmering narrative over the edge. It involves Abbas' brotherHassan, who arrives in the States to try and coax his brother back to Iran, butonly manages to arouse FBI suspicion. It's an intriguing notion, but asuperfluous one since Bram's novel is already a well-rendered and engagingstudy about the ways in which contemporary, ever-evolving relationships blurthe borders of true love and good sense.

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