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The Paternity Test
Having a baby to save a marriage—it’s the oldest of clichés. But what if the marriage at risk is a gay one, and having a baby involves a surrogate mother?
Pat Faunce is a faltering romantic, a former poetry major who now writes textbooks. A decade into his relationship with Stu, an airline pilot from a fraught Jewish family, he fears he’s losing Stu to other men—and losing himself in their “no rules” arrangement. Yearning for a baby and a deeper commitment, he pressures Stu to move from Manhattan to Cape Cod, to the cottage where Pat spent boyhood summers.
As they struggle to adjust to their new life, they enlist a surrogate: Debora, a charismatic Brazilian immigrant, married to Danny, an American carpenter. Gradually, Pat and Debora bond, drawn together by the logistics of getting pregnant and away from their spouses. Pat gets caught between loyalties—to Stu and his family, to Debora, to his own potent desires—and wonders: is he fit to be a father?
In one of the first novels to explore the experience of gay men seeking a child through surrogacy, Michael Lowenthal writes passionately about marriages and mistakes, loyalty and betrayal, and about how our drive to create families can complicate the ones we already have. The Paternity Test is a provocative look at the new “family values.”
Pat Faunce is a faltering romantic, a former poetry major who now writes textbooks. A decade into his relationship with Stu, an airline pilot from a fraught Jewish family, he fears he’s losing Stu to other men—and losing himself in their “no rules” arrangement. Yearning for a baby and a deeper commitment, he pressures Stu to move from Manhattan to Cape Cod, to the cottage where Pat spent boyhood summers.
As they struggle to adjust to their new life, they enlist a surrogate: Debora, a charismatic Brazilian immigrant, married to Danny, an American carpenter. Gradually, Pat and Debora bond, drawn together by the logistics of getting pregnant and away from their spouses. Pat gets caught between loyalties—to Stu and his family, to Debora, to his own potent desires—and wonders: is he fit to be a father?
In one of the first novels to explore the experience of gay men seeking a child through surrogacy, Michael Lowenthal writes passionately about marriages and mistakes, loyalty and betrayal, and about how our drive to create families can complicate the ones we already have. The Paternity Test is a provocative look at the new “family values.”
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2012
8 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Michael Lowenthal
30 books38 followersMichael Lowenthal is the author of the novels Charity Girl (Houghton Mifflin, 2007), Avoidance (Graywolf Press, 2002) and The Same Embrace (Dutton, 1998). His short stories have appeared in Tin House, the Southern Review, the Kenyon Review, and Esquire.com, and have been widely anthologized, in such volumes as Lost Tribe: Jewish Fiction from the Edge (HarperCollins), Bestial Noise: The Tin House Fiction Reader (Bloomsbury), and Best New American Voices 2005 (Harcourt). Three of his stories have received "Special Mention" in Pushcart Prize anthologies. He has also written nonfiction for the New York Times Magazine, Boston Magazine, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, Out, and many other publications.
The recipient of fellowships from the Bread Loaf and Wesleyan writers' conferences, the MacDowell Colony, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, and the Hawthornden International Retreat for Writers, Lowenthal is also the winner of the James Duggins Outstanding Mid-Career Novelists' Prize. He teaches creative writing in the low-residency MFA program at Lesley University.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Lowenthal worked as an editor for University Press of New England, where he founded the Hardscrabble Books imprint, publishing such authors as Chris Bohjalian, W.D. Wetherell, and Ernest Hebert. He studied English and comparative religion at Dartmouth College, from which he graduated in 1990 as class valedictorian.
Lowenthal lives in Boston, where he is an active former board member of the literary human rights organization PEN New England.
The recipient of fellowships from the Bread Loaf and Wesleyan writers' conferences, the MacDowell Colony, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, and the Hawthornden International Retreat for Writers, Lowenthal is also the winner of the James Duggins Outstanding Mid-Career Novelists' Prize. He teaches creative writing in the low-residency MFA program at Lesley University.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Lowenthal worked as an editor for University Press of New England, where he founded the Hardscrabble Books imprint, publishing such authors as Chris Bohjalian, W.D. Wetherell, and Ernest Hebert. He studied English and comparative religion at Dartmouth College, from which he graduated in 1990 as class valedictorian.
Lowenthal lives in Boston, where he is an active former board member of the literary human rights organization PEN New England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
December 4, 2012
Before I began reading THE PATERNITY TEST, I read a review from Roof Beam Reader's Literary Others event that worried me. Geoff (The Oddness of Moving Things) was turned off the book from the beginning due to a line that struck him as misogynistic. Despite being forewarned, I read right over that line.
The prospective parents in THE PATERNITY TEST are Pat and Stu, two men looking to save their marriage. Their relationship began to erode as Pat became more jealous of Stu's extramarital partners and Stu failed to notice Pat's discontent. But now they've moved away from the city, to Cape Cod, and are looking for a woman to be a surrogate. They think they've finally found the perfect mother in Brazilian immigrant Debora, but unfortunately things aren't that easy.
Being a parent is hard. It can be hard to simply have a child, as Stu and his sister find out. (She's attempting to adopt, but having difficultly in adopting a Jewish child.) It can be hard to have only one child if you feel you're meant to give birth again, like Debora. It can be hard if you don't agree with how your children are doing now that they're grown up, like Stu's parents. And romantic relationships are hard too, even without the complication of children. And THE PATERNITY TEST is all about tangled relationships.
Michael Lowenthal's characters are complex, flawed, and often somewhat ignorant in their flaws. Pat, for instance, likes to think of himself as an activist, but he can be very hypocritical and unaware of his own prejudice. It's a flaw that has serious consequences. Many other characters have to own up to their own shortcomings as well.
One of my favorite aspects of THE PATERNITY TEST was that I did not figure out where it was going. I thought I knew how this book would go when I began it, but I was totally and completely wrong. There are some big twists, which isn't exactly what you expect when reading a character-driven novel.
I found the ending slightly abrupt, but not unsatisfying. THE PATERNITY TEST is a well-done drama, delving deep into the life of a couple fighting to stay together and be happy. The characters aren't always likeable, but that's because they're complicated people. I enjoyed THE PATERNITY TEST, particularly as a change in style from my usual reading.
The prospective parents in THE PATERNITY TEST are Pat and Stu, two men looking to save their marriage. Their relationship began to erode as Pat became more jealous of Stu's extramarital partners and Stu failed to notice Pat's discontent. But now they've moved away from the city, to Cape Cod, and are looking for a woman to be a surrogate. They think they've finally found the perfect mother in Brazilian immigrant Debora, but unfortunately things aren't that easy.
Being a parent is hard. It can be hard to simply have a child, as Stu and his sister find out. (She's attempting to adopt, but having difficultly in adopting a Jewish child.) It can be hard to have only one child if you feel you're meant to give birth again, like Debora. It can be hard if you don't agree with how your children are doing now that they're grown up, like Stu's parents. And romantic relationships are hard too, even without the complication of children. And THE PATERNITY TEST is all about tangled relationships.
Michael Lowenthal's characters are complex, flawed, and often somewhat ignorant in their flaws. Pat, for instance, likes to think of himself as an activist, but he can be very hypocritical and unaware of his own prejudice. It's a flaw that has serious consequences. Many other characters have to own up to their own shortcomings as well.
One of my favorite aspects of THE PATERNITY TEST was that I did not figure out where it was going. I thought I knew how this book would go when I began it, but I was totally and completely wrong. There are some big twists, which isn't exactly what you expect when reading a character-driven novel.
I found the ending slightly abrupt, but not unsatisfying. THE PATERNITY TEST is a well-done drama, delving deep into the life of a couple fighting to stay together and be happy. The characters aren't always likeable, but that's because they're complicated people. I enjoyed THE PATERNITY TEST, particularly as a change in style from my usual reading.
May 29, 2013
This book was just okay. The writing was enjoyable although the plot seemed a bit far-fetched. I felt that the author didn't know what to do with the characters once he got them to a certain point and just washed his hands of all of them. Not the ending I would have chosen...
October 23, 2012
Full of compassion and bravery and stubborn, persistent humanity. And the ending absolutely floored me with its honesty.
August 14, 2012
I finished this book a month ago, but failed to write a review because there wasn't a Goodreads page for it, so some of the finer points of my reading experience have grown a little fuzzy, which I'm sad about. That said, here is my best attempt to convey the complexity of emotions I felt throughout my reading it.
At first The Paternity Test seemed like it was going to be a fairly straight-forward story of a gay couple who decide to have a child by using a surrogate. There would be the typical dramatic moments exploring issues such as having a child to save a relationship; difficulty with the surrogate, that kind of thing. In fact, I wasn't all that interested in the subject matter, and wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it. But when you get an advanced copy from the author himself, you make a point of reading it.
First thing I noticed was how compelling it was. I couldn't put the book down and read it in record time. That said, it was a very tough read for me, stirring up all sorts of conflicting emotions. For much of the book I wasn't sure I was enjoying it, and had particular trouble with the lead character, Pat. Often I was worried about the direction the book was headed in. Sometimes I had the distinct feeling that I was reading a novelization of "Days of our Lives." But by the end of the book, I was excited by the journey it took me on, the very fact that I was all over the place emotionally with the characters, yet ultimately having it be a really satisfying reading experience for me. Like parenthood, like relationships, like family, there is nothing simple about The Paternity Test; there are ups and downs, moments of melodrama, laughter, tears, anger... all the things that make a wonderful novel.
At first The Paternity Test seemed like it was going to be a fairly straight-forward story of a gay couple who decide to have a child by using a surrogate. There would be the typical dramatic moments exploring issues such as having a child to save a relationship; difficulty with the surrogate, that kind of thing. In fact, I wasn't all that interested in the subject matter, and wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it. But when you get an advanced copy from the author himself, you make a point of reading it.
First thing I noticed was how compelling it was. I couldn't put the book down and read it in record time. That said, it was a very tough read for me, stirring up all sorts of conflicting emotions. For much of the book I wasn't sure I was enjoying it, and had particular trouble with the lead character, Pat. Often I was worried about the direction the book was headed in. Sometimes I had the distinct feeling that I was reading a novelization of "Days of our Lives." But by the end of the book, I was excited by the journey it took me on, the very fact that I was all over the place emotionally with the characters, yet ultimately having it be a really satisfying reading experience for me. Like parenthood, like relationships, like family, there is nothing simple about The Paternity Test; there are ups and downs, moments of melodrama, laughter, tears, anger... all the things that make a wonderful novel.
September 14, 2012
Took me about 24 hours to stew with my thoughts on this story.
I'll start by saying it's a damn good one. Lowenthal took a pretty straightforward and predictable premise and threw us a curveball.
Pat and Stu, a gay couple struggling with their commitment to each other decide they want to have a baby. The magic solution to married life, right? Well, no. Their motives behind wanting a child are somewhat touching and understandable, but not necessarily right. I guess that's subjective, though.
They lead a somewhat open relationship where Pat is the faithful one while Stu tends to stray but always come back to Pat. When they start looking for a surrogate to carry their child, Pat and Debora, the surrogate chosen develop a special bond. Things go a step or two too far and that's when the story picks up.
Lowenthal's writing is very unique. He links the past and present in a very compelling way, that gets the reader deeply involved in the story.
The only thing that bothered me is that for almost the entire first half of the book I felt that the story is lagging. It started picking up midway through the reading and then rushed through the end. A more evenly distributed pace might have been better.
All in all, a story I very much enjoyed.
Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy.
I'll start by saying it's a damn good one. Lowenthal took a pretty straightforward and predictable premise and threw us a curveball.
Pat and Stu, a gay couple struggling with their commitment to each other decide they want to have a baby. The magic solution to married life, right? Well, no. Their motives behind wanting a child are somewhat touching and understandable, but not necessarily right. I guess that's subjective, though.
They lead a somewhat open relationship where Pat is the faithful one while Stu tends to stray but always come back to Pat. When they start looking for a surrogate to carry their child, Pat and Debora, the surrogate chosen develop a special bond. Things go a step or two too far and that's when the story picks up.
Lowenthal's writing is very unique. He links the past and present in a very compelling way, that gets the reader deeply involved in the story.
The only thing that bothered me is that for almost the entire first half of the book I felt that the story is lagging. It started picking up midway through the reading and then rushed through the end. A more evenly distributed pace might have been better.
All in all, a story I very much enjoyed.
Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy.
January 12, 2013
Into the final third of "The Paternity Test", it struck me that I was almost done with the book, and there was still no happy ending on the horizon. When the final word was read and the final page was turned, with only a facile sense of closure for our protagonist, that's when it hit me: this is a great book.
It's not that unhappy endings automatically make for great stories, but Lowenthal's characters are so complicated, and the consequences of their actions so real, that it stunned me he wrote the events of the book to their natural conclusion. No cavalry charging in at the last minute to save the day, no deus ex machina descending from the clouds to make sure everybody has a happy ending before the acknowledgements page. In complex, emotional situations, good people do the wrong things for what they feel are the right reasons, and the repercussions run deep. They change lives, and not always for the better. Sometimes you have to settle for second best, and sometimes you do daydream about what if.
Call it a story about relationships, culture, adoptions, homosexuality, family, or even just simply identity, but "The Paternity Test" is a delightfully charming and a shockingly heartbreaking book about failings and findings.
It's not that unhappy endings automatically make for great stories, but Lowenthal's characters are so complicated, and the consequences of their actions so real, that it stunned me he wrote the events of the book to their natural conclusion. No cavalry charging in at the last minute to save the day, no deus ex machina descending from the clouds to make sure everybody has a happy ending before the acknowledgements page. In complex, emotional situations, good people do the wrong things for what they feel are the right reasons, and the repercussions run deep. They change lives, and not always for the better. Sometimes you have to settle for second best, and sometimes you do daydream about what if.
Call it a story about relationships, culture, adoptions, homosexuality, family, or even just simply identity, but "The Paternity Test" is a delightfully charming and a shockingly heartbreaking book about failings and findings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2013
I love everything Michael Lowenthal writes, and this book was no exception. The plot doesn't go where you think it's going to go, and yet by the end it all seems inevitable and satisfying. Lowenthal gives us and honest and candid depiction of life - not just "gay life," but real life.
December 27, 2012
Slow as molasses! Full of stereotypes and cliches, this is a novel that should have been excellent but fell flat instead.
August 27, 2016
Dated. Not very well written. Not believable. Got it free and it was worth about what I paid for it.
October 10, 2012
From Lilac Wolf and Stuff
This book is full of flavor. You feel their excitement at having a baby, but as you get in deeper and understand the relationship these men have...well, it's less black and white. I thought it was a brilliant portrayal about how our motivations aren't always so simple.
In the opening of the description it talks about the cliche, "having a baby to save the marriage." And that is what all their friends think is going on. And really, it kind of is. For one of them. For the other, it's about giving his parents a grandchild and continuing the family line. Are either of those perfect reasons for having a baby?
What motivates straight couples to breed? I see lots of accidents (Ivan is one of them - lol), just because it's the normal next step, and even today there are lots of save-the-relationship babies. Just because they are a gay couple doesn't mean they don't face the same hardships in deciding to have children.
This story does a great job showing the grey areas in relationships. And I wonder how much of it is true, in the gay community there is a LOT of casual sex still going on. That is what made Pat and Stu so rocky. For Stu's credit, he does make an effort to stay true to Pat once it comes out that Pat simply can't take that lifestyle anymore. It's a huge trust issue that comes back over and over again.
This is a very realistic and heart-wrenching story that will surprise you in the end.
This book is full of flavor. You feel their excitement at having a baby, but as you get in deeper and understand the relationship these men have...well, it's less black and white. I thought it was a brilliant portrayal about how our motivations aren't always so simple.
In the opening of the description it talks about the cliche, "having a baby to save the marriage." And that is what all their friends think is going on. And really, it kind of is. For one of them. For the other, it's about giving his parents a grandchild and continuing the family line. Are either of those perfect reasons for having a baby?
What motivates straight couples to breed? I see lots of accidents (Ivan is one of them - lol), just because it's the normal next step, and even today there are lots of save-the-relationship babies. Just because they are a gay couple doesn't mean they don't face the same hardships in deciding to have children.
This story does a great job showing the grey areas in relationships. And I wonder how much of it is true, in the gay community there is a LOT of casual sex still going on. That is what made Pat and Stu so rocky. For Stu's credit, he does make an effort to stay true to Pat once it comes out that Pat simply can't take that lifestyle anymore. It's a huge trust issue that comes back over and over again.
This is a very realistic and heart-wrenching story that will surprise you in the end.
December 18, 2014
People I trust love this book. But it didn't work for me.
Can we blame my anti-natalism? (I think the main characters want children to immortalize themselves, rather than because they actually want to care for a vulnerable creature. Am I supposed to feel bad about how difficult it is for them?)
Or how about my overactive feminism? (It's one thing for the flawed characters to treat this woman as a womb. But it seems like the author did sort of create a character who is a womb. I kept thinking I wanted her to be the narrator of the story, but then thought how all her pregnancy-longing would make me queasy. Also: that's not how diva cups work.)
Or class analysis? (ew the poors, who don't have estates, and New England streets named after them. Plymouth is so bad "I even saw a homeless man." Debora grew up exotically poor, so we're able to romanticize her instead of despise or ignore her.)
Or is The Paternity Test just sort of bad writing? Each emotion is over-explained, each metaphor overwrought, every action requires an adverb. While reading I would ask a friend "can you smile at me obtusely now?" "Ok, now say something triumphantly."
The beginning was especially rough for me -- I almost put it down. I kept reading and the plot livened up. The ending was the best part, stoic and realistic.
Can we blame my anti-natalism? (I think the main characters want children to immortalize themselves, rather than because they actually want to care for a vulnerable creature. Am I supposed to feel bad about how difficult it is for them?)
Or how about my overactive feminism? (It's one thing for the flawed characters to treat this woman as a womb. But it seems like the author did sort of create a character who is a womb. I kept thinking I wanted her to be the narrator of the story, but then thought how all her pregnancy-longing would make me queasy. Also: that's not how diva cups work.)
Or class analysis? (ew the poors, who don't have estates, and New England streets named after them. Plymouth is so bad "I even saw a homeless man." Debora grew up exotically poor, so we're able to romanticize her instead of despise or ignore her.)
Or is The Paternity Test just sort of bad writing? Each emotion is over-explained, each metaphor overwrought, every action requires an adverb. While reading I would ask a friend "can you smile at me obtusely now?" "Ok, now say something triumphantly."
The beginning was especially rough for me -- I almost put it down. I kept reading and the plot livened up. The ending was the best part, stoic and realistic.
December 22, 2015
Why this book?
I came across The Paternity Test in a NetGalley newsletter and when I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read the book. It wasn’t the fastest read, and it didn’t grab me until the last fifty or so pages.
Real, Complex Characters
The novel is narrated by Pat, one-half of a gay couple on the rocks who decides the answer to salvaging their relationship is to have a baby. He and his partner, Stu, move to Pat’s childhood home in Cape Cod and start looking for a surrogate. Pat and Stu have been growing apart more and more. Pat is sure having a baby together with fix everything, and it seems to work for a while. Pat develops a bond with their surrogate that quickly becomes a problem for everyone. It’s hard to say Pat’s actions are justifiable, but they’re certainly realistic. The great thing about this book is that characters are so “real” and complex. They’re not perfect for even close to it. They make mistakes and even though Pat’s makes some big ones, I still liked him. After all, no one was perfect in this book. What’s important is that they learned something from it.
Read more at Owl Tell You About It
I came across The Paternity Test in a NetGalley newsletter and when I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read the book. It wasn’t the fastest read, and it didn’t grab me until the last fifty or so pages.
Real, Complex Characters
The novel is narrated by Pat, one-half of a gay couple on the rocks who decides the answer to salvaging their relationship is to have a baby. He and his partner, Stu, move to Pat’s childhood home in Cape Cod and start looking for a surrogate. Pat and Stu have been growing apart more and more. Pat is sure having a baby together with fix everything, and it seems to work for a while. Pat develops a bond with their surrogate that quickly becomes a problem for everyone. It’s hard to say Pat’s actions are justifiable, but they’re certainly realistic. The great thing about this book is that characters are so “real” and complex. They’re not perfect for even close to it. They make mistakes and even though Pat’s makes some big ones, I still liked him. After all, no one was perfect in this book. What’s important is that they learned something from it.
Read more at Owl Tell You About It
October 1, 2012
This book did not get off to a good start with me; ending your first chapter referring to the potential birth mother of your child as just ‘the womb’ really bothered me. I felt it was incredibly misogynistic, an accusation two of the main characters made towards each other later in the book, but I also felt it was too jarring in the beginning of the story and put me on edge for the rest of the story.
I do feel that Lowenthal developed the characters further than that first chapter gave them credit, both male and female characters, but that really put me on edge and made it difficult to identify with and feel sympathy for Pat and Stu. But, if there is one thing he did do great it was the personality quirks of all the characters. From describing Deborah’s exotic Brazilian Portuguese accent to the adorable story about Pat and Stu when they moved into their first place together and stacked plates the same way for the same reason.
Click here to continue reading on my blog The Oddness of Moving Things.
I do feel that Lowenthal developed the characters further than that first chapter gave them credit, both male and female characters, but that really put me on edge and made it difficult to identify with and feel sympathy for Pat and Stu. But, if there is one thing he did do great it was the personality quirks of all the characters. From describing Deborah’s exotic Brazilian Portuguese accent to the adorable story about Pat and Stu when they moved into their first place together and stacked plates the same way for the same reason.
Click here to continue reading on my blog The Oddness of Moving Things.
July 28, 2013
This book put me through a range of emotions, most of them negative: anger, disgust, and frustration, to name a few. After reading only a few chapters, I had come to the conclusion that none of these folks needed a child in their lives and that feeling remained throughout the book. Stu, the sperm donor, was awful. Who locks a four-year-old who has to pee out of the bathroom because he's in there trying to whip up a sperm sample? Does someone like this really need to be a father? I don't think so. And his partner Pat was such a doormat. The man rarely showed any backbone and let Stu walk all over him. Debora, the surrogate mother, was a flake and her husband Danny was a jerk. Really, there are no winners here. But, that being said, I found this book interesting and fascinating. I learned a lot about surrogates, the contracts between them and the potential parents for their child, and the Jewish faith. Lowenthal is a great writer and he presents a wonderfully written book about difficult people.
April 15, 2013
I felt like this book tried to be all intellectual liberal east coast elitist, but underneath it was just trash. The lead characters were a bit of trash and only focused on the fake and not the real. I know the author was just trying to make them flawed and some people might have liked that. but I did not. I think I just want things to be more fairy tale then real sometimes, to a degree. The one thing I liked is that there wasn't a true happy ending and it wasn't a true pregnancy story. It was more character driven than plot. Things did end up happy in the end, but not for who you were supposed to be rooting for and at that point, you realize that you have been rooting for the wrong people the whole time. Okay, so maybe it was a little better than I originally thought. I just go into these books thinking they are going to be one thing, and when they turn out different, it annoys and distracts me from what the point is supposed to be. Upside, a short and easy read.
November 22, 2012
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This was a very unusual novel for me, but rather interesting. In a way, I wondered if Pat was actually bisexual but chose a life with Stu. The things Pat had put up with for years from Stu was just unreal. Then they try to start over in Cape Cod, you can’t get more opposite of the big city than that. I think the desire for a child was more Pat’s need to be a daddy. You can see it in the relationship he has with Paula. The feeling I got was that Stu was only interested in passing down the family genes, not much more. Although, I don’t think that qualified Pat to do what he did, not only affecting his relationship with Stu, but also Danny and Debora’s. The end of the book just completely broke my heart, I felt so awful for everyone involved. This was definitely an emotional novel and one I enjoyed very much.
January 9, 2013
The Paternity Test
Author
Michael Lowenthal
Book Review
Two gay men, Stu and Pat
Living on Cape Cod.
A model couple.
Decide they want a child.
They enlist a heterosexual
woman as a surrogate.
After, meeting with her and her husband, Debora and Danny
they sign all the necessary legal documents.
Pat and Stu decide to use Stu's sperm.
After several attempts, she doesn't get pregnant.
Pat decides to take matters in his own hands, the story unfolds.
A good read, ending with an unexpected twist, that honestly left me a little emotionally upset.
All gay men thinking of doing such a thing, should read this book first
Not a subject for everyone.
I give it two thumbs up.
Dog Brindle
Author
Michael Lowenthal
Book Review
Two gay men, Stu and Pat
Living on Cape Cod.
A model couple.
Decide they want a child.
They enlist a heterosexual
woman as a surrogate.
After, meeting with her and her husband, Debora and Danny
they sign all the necessary legal documents.
Pat and Stu decide to use Stu's sperm.
After several attempts, she doesn't get pregnant.
Pat decides to take matters in his own hands, the story unfolds.
A good read, ending with an unexpected twist, that honestly left me a little emotionally upset.
All gay men thinking of doing such a thing, should read this book first
Not a subject for everyone.
I give it two thumbs up.
Dog Brindle
March 6, 2013
I'm shocked at all the great reviews here. I thought this book was terrible. I didn't believe in any of the characters, I found the relationship between Pat and Stu to be depressing, I thought the plot was predictable and boring, and frankly I'm sick of stories about gay people having straight affairs. Debora was a completely romanticized character. The adoption and Jewish themes were offensive. The end was unsatisfactory. There may have been some small moments of interesting writing, but on the whole, I really disliked this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2022
Having a baby to save a relationship may be a familiar trope, but here it is told in a fresh way when the relationship is between two men trying to find their way back to an authentic commitment to one another and having a baby involves the added complication of a surrogate and her husband. A worthwhile and engrossing novel.
January 3, 2014
Hooray for gay rights! It's nice to know that the gays can produce works every bit as wretched as the worst chick lit. To say this was terrible would be understatement. It was a shallow, inane romance that serves as a comprehensive collection of every cliche known to mankind.
July 25, 2013
Just okay. I didn't like the writing style and couldn't really get into it. I made it about halfway through.
June 12, 2014
Meh. Fine, reasonably written, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.
June 25, 2024
A gay couple from New York City believes fatherhood will repair their topsy-turvy relationship in author Michael Lowenthal's engaging fourth novel, "The Paternity Test."
Pat Faunce, editor of children's textbooks, and Stu Nadler, an airline pilot, have shared ten tumultuous years together. All the while, the two have had an arrangement that allows them to see other men, an aspect of their partnership that Pat appreciated when they were younger but now worries may lead to their demise.
Having recently relocated from New York City to Cape Cod, Stu and Pat have decidedly reinvented themselves not only as a monogamous couple, but also as aspiring parents, desperately seeking a surrogate. The novel begins when the two men are en route to meet Debora, a seemingly too-good-to-be-true woman from Brazil who might possibly help make their dream of fatherhood come true.
From the start, Lowenthal's exemplary prose paints a vivid picture of the life Pat and Stu have had thus far, because underneath the playful banter and affection is a decade loaded with uneasy history. The couple's dialogue has an ominous undertone that early on calls into question whether they are ready to be fathers and if they're pursuing parenthood for the wrong reasons.
The willing and able Debora, who already has a daughter, Paula, as well as a supportive husband, Danny, turns out to be the perfect candidate, at least initially. Despite several failed attempts, the ensuing complications are, oddly enough, in no way related to biology.
Stu's sister, Rina, who hasn't had any success getting pregnant, announces that she and her husband, Richard, have decided to adopt a child. Pat, in turn, reveals their own paternity plans, against Stu's wishes and much to the chagrin of his family. Furthermore, Pat and Debora grow close--arguably too close--and he learns her marriage and reasons for wanting to have another child may not be so cut and dried or picture-perfect.
The novel and its author present a compelling, painstakingly honest portrait of a gay couple's logistical and emotional journey to become parents. The arduous surrogacy process inadvertently forces these men to reexamine their relationship and helps to determine whether they're even capable of starting a family.
Ultimately, Stu and Pat are both equally at fault when things don't exactly go according to plan, which makes their story all the more relatable and believable, and the novel a quintessential page turner. The reader knows that having a baby certainly won't solve all their problems, yet you still can't help but want the best for them.
Pat Faunce, editor of children's textbooks, and Stu Nadler, an airline pilot, have shared ten tumultuous years together. All the while, the two have had an arrangement that allows them to see other men, an aspect of their partnership that Pat appreciated when they were younger but now worries may lead to their demise.
Having recently relocated from New York City to Cape Cod, Stu and Pat have decidedly reinvented themselves not only as a monogamous couple, but also as aspiring parents, desperately seeking a surrogate. The novel begins when the two men are en route to meet Debora, a seemingly too-good-to-be-true woman from Brazil who might possibly help make their dream of fatherhood come true.
From the start, Lowenthal's exemplary prose paints a vivid picture of the life Pat and Stu have had thus far, because underneath the playful banter and affection is a decade loaded with uneasy history. The couple's dialogue has an ominous undertone that early on calls into question whether they are ready to be fathers and if they're pursuing parenthood for the wrong reasons.
The willing and able Debora, who already has a daughter, Paula, as well as a supportive husband, Danny, turns out to be the perfect candidate, at least initially. Despite several failed attempts, the ensuing complications are, oddly enough, in no way related to biology.
Stu's sister, Rina, who hasn't had any success getting pregnant, announces that she and her husband, Richard, have decided to adopt a child. Pat, in turn, reveals their own paternity plans, against Stu's wishes and much to the chagrin of his family. Furthermore, Pat and Debora grow close--arguably too close--and he learns her marriage and reasons for wanting to have another child may not be so cut and dried or picture-perfect.
The novel and its author present a compelling, painstakingly honest portrait of a gay couple's logistical and emotional journey to become parents. The arduous surrogacy process inadvertently forces these men to reexamine their relationship and helps to determine whether they're even capable of starting a family.
Ultimately, Stu and Pat are both equally at fault when things don't exactly go according to plan, which makes their story all the more relatable and believable, and the novel a quintessential page turner. The reader knows that having a baby certainly won't solve all their problems, yet you still can't help but want the best for them.
July 22, 2022
I wasn't sure I would respond to a story about a gay couple trying to have a baby... but it ended up being one of the best-written books I have ever experienced. It takes a creative genius to take a "simple" story about a gay couple trying to have a baby and turn it into this genius book! Debora's reason for carrying the baby was shocking and so tender (and original!). And so was everything that came after. This book could EASILY have devolved into the usual gay tropes of relationships and monogamy, but Michael Lowenthal took it all and created something I will think about for a very long time. A perfect little book.
December 15, 2019
It was just okay but had an interesting story idea. Tough subject for all the characters.
May 7, 2021
A 'Happily Ever After' story, NOT! Regardless of unlikable main characters (especially Pat), the story keeps me reading to the end.
April 29, 2016
Enough people have written about the basic plot and characters of this novel that I don't feel the need to rehash it for you here. That said, this is an important read, in my opinion, for those completely or relatively new to the emotional lives of people who identify as GLBT. It's a novel about sexuality, fidelity, and romantic love that was not at all what I expected. It expanded my empathy, which is what you hope for with any novel (I'd hope).
Here's why I think this is an important book. To start, let me say that I am an Eastern Orthodox Christian (think Russian, Greek, candles/incense/hymns/chanting) who knows very few gay people and is ambivalent about the whole topic. I know what I'm supposed to believe, what I'm supposed to think, and also--conversely--what I'm compelled to do by Christianity as a whole, and Christ Himself (love, without judgment, every man: let Him sort it out down the road). How can all that be reconciled? Anything other than straight-up heterosexuality is a muddle for folks like me, and one I've previously tried to avoid in life and in my reading--never consciously, but now I see that's what was happening. It's a hard thing, being caught between wanting to love and know and understand everyone under the sun, and yet also to understand that there are, historically, some very real right/wrong/truth/lie stances handed down, within your faith, throughout the ages--stances that have not changed. We live in an age of relativity, but that doesn't mean I'm released from wrestling with these beliefs, or at least looking them in the face.
The Paternity Test had me doing that. Lowenthal's characters were very humanly portrayed, very flawed and honest. I learned many emotional truths reading this book; I honestly feel like I'm a better person for having read it. I have high standards for stories, and so that's high praise. I closed the book feeling as if I'd had a conversation with someone (Pat, the MC and narrator) who would tell me the truth, straight up, about what it was like to live with very blurred lines of sexuality, who would admit his reservations and struggles with what that meant--even morally--about himself, his loved ones, his tribe. I didn't expect that level of honesty and vulnerability, frankly. I am used to what I'd consider a very defensive stance from the GLBT community, an unwillingness to give ground on questions of morality and identity, which is the response I suspect I would have received from Stu (another MC), had he narrated this story. I wasn't prepared for someone like Pat, which was what made it perfect.
This book disarmed me with its humanity. I wouldn't be surprised if I looked back on it as a sort of turning point in my own deeper development of empathy, a sort of emotional and intellectual invitation into the muddle of human sexuality that was extended to me unexpectedly, and that I accepted. I'll be the better for it.
Here's why I think this is an important book. To start, let me say that I am an Eastern Orthodox Christian (think Russian, Greek, candles/incense/hymns/chanting) who knows very few gay people and is ambivalent about the whole topic. I know what I'm supposed to believe, what I'm supposed to think, and also--conversely--what I'm compelled to do by Christianity as a whole, and Christ Himself (love, without judgment, every man: let Him sort it out down the road). How can all that be reconciled? Anything other than straight-up heterosexuality is a muddle for folks like me, and one I've previously tried to avoid in life and in my reading--never consciously, but now I see that's what was happening. It's a hard thing, being caught between wanting to love and know and understand everyone under the sun, and yet also to understand that there are, historically, some very real right/wrong/truth/lie stances handed down, within your faith, throughout the ages--stances that have not changed. We live in an age of relativity, but that doesn't mean I'm released from wrestling with these beliefs, or at least looking them in the face.
The Paternity Test had me doing that. Lowenthal's characters were very humanly portrayed, very flawed and honest. I learned many emotional truths reading this book; I honestly feel like I'm a better person for having read it. I have high standards for stories, and so that's high praise. I closed the book feeling as if I'd had a conversation with someone (Pat, the MC and narrator) who would tell me the truth, straight up, about what it was like to live with very blurred lines of sexuality, who would admit his reservations and struggles with what that meant--even morally--about himself, his loved ones, his tribe. I didn't expect that level of honesty and vulnerability, frankly. I am used to what I'd consider a very defensive stance from the GLBT community, an unwillingness to give ground on questions of morality and identity, which is the response I suspect I would have received from Stu (another MC), had he narrated this story. I wasn't prepared for someone like Pat, which was what made it perfect.
This book disarmed me with its humanity. I wouldn't be surprised if I looked back on it as a sort of turning point in my own deeper development of empathy, a sort of emotional and intellectual invitation into the muddle of human sexuality that was extended to me unexpectedly, and that I accepted. I'll be the better for it.
October 21, 2012
Michael Lowenthal has created an emotionally compelling read sharing the determination that drives a childless couple longing for a family. With several LGBT couples in my life who have experienced the often frustrating road to having a child of their own, I was immediately drawn to the book having read the synopsis. I found myself captivated by the depth of emotion Lowenthal has written into his characters bringing them to life from
Fade in to Stu and Patrick. The couple is struggling to gain a foothold on their relationship in the wake of Stu’s constant philandering. In an attempt to make a fresh start, the couple take up their roots lock, stock, and barrel, and move to Cape Cod into the cottage Patrick inherited.
Life becomes idyllic and the nesting bug begins to niggle at the couple beginning the search for a surrogate mother to bear their child. After an intensive search they find the perfect woman; beautiful, quirky and Jewish, which was Stu’s absolute criterion. A meeting with Debora and her husband Danny sets the process in motion which results in a test to both couple’s commitment to each other and the outcome both had planned.
Michael Lowenthal knows how to write. The depths of his character’s personalities bring them to life as each have their own demons to overcome. The storyline is well thought out with enough diversity to have readers disliking a character at one instance and respecting them in another. With sub-stories and colourful supportive characters added to round out the telling, the book proves to be a great read.
I give “The Paternity Test” a solid five stars.
Disclaimer: I was given this book by the publisher for an unbiased and honest review. I was not compensated for my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2012
Pat and Stu, a gay couple, decide they want a baby to complete their family. Their relationship is in a rough spot right now and are hoping a baby will make their bond stronger. With Stu flying across the country as a pilot and having hook-ups in each city he visits and Pat being faithful. Yes, they have an open relationship. It is easy to understand why they are having problems. But is a baby the answer?
As I started reading the Paternity Test, I thought wow this is pretty straight forward. Two men want a baby to complete their family and have found the perfect surrogate to help them reach their goal. Each month they go to the surrogates’ home and wait for her to be inseminated and then go home and wait for the call. Always hoping for the best. I thought there has to be little bumps in the road, things can’t go perfectly. Never did I imagine the issues Pat and Stu would face.
Michael Lowenthal pulls you in and makes you feel as if you are part of the story. He writes the past and the future intertwining them perfectly. The story flows easy and is easy to follow. Even, if like me, you had no real knowledge or interest in the topic.
I was concerned at the relationship between Pat and the surrogate. It seemed odd how close they became. Especially since Stu is the donor father to their baby to be. It was very interesting to read how their closeness caused the other relationships to be or to be changed.
The Paternity Test shows how difficult it can be to become a parent in any circumstance. It is truly thought provoking and very unique in the storyline and characters. I enjoyed the book very much and highly recommend it.
As I started reading the Paternity Test, I thought wow this is pretty straight forward. Two men want a baby to complete their family and have found the perfect surrogate to help them reach their goal. Each month they go to the surrogates’ home and wait for her to be inseminated and then go home and wait for the call. Always hoping for the best. I thought there has to be little bumps in the road, things can’t go perfectly. Never did I imagine the issues Pat and Stu would face.
Michael Lowenthal pulls you in and makes you feel as if you are part of the story. He writes the past and the future intertwining them perfectly. The story flows easy and is easy to follow. Even, if like me, you had no real knowledge or interest in the topic.
I was concerned at the relationship between Pat and the surrogate. It seemed odd how close they became. Especially since Stu is the donor father to their baby to be. It was very interesting to read how their closeness caused the other relationships to be or to be changed.
The Paternity Test shows how difficult it can be to become a parent in any circumstance. It is truly thought provoking and very unique in the storyline and characters. I enjoyed the book very much and highly recommend it.
October 25, 2012
I received a copy of The Paternity Test in exchange for an honest review. This book was an eye-opener, definitely something I have not yet read. The main characters are Pat and Stu, a gay couple who has decided they want to try for a baby. They really want to find a surrogate mother and use Stu’s sperm, and find luck upon them when the meet Debora, who seems to be a great fit. But over time, Pat finds himself drawn to Debora and has some difficult decisions to make – and questions to answer.
I found myself with raised brows throughout my reading – especially at the end. The ending was really nothing that I thought it might be, and I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed, but it did bum me out a little. I’m being cryptic, huh? Trying not to give away so much information! I do think that Michael Lowenthal wrote a very honest and emotional read that lets people discover a different lifestyle in the literary world, I found that fascinating. I really enjoyed this book, as I walk away from it entertained, educated, and still thinking about Pat and Stu’s journey.
I found myself with raised brows throughout my reading – especially at the end. The ending was really nothing that I thought it might be, and I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed, but it did bum me out a little. I’m being cryptic, huh? Trying not to give away so much information! I do think that Michael Lowenthal wrote a very honest and emotional read that lets people discover a different lifestyle in the literary world, I found that fascinating. I really enjoyed this book, as I walk away from it entertained, educated, and still thinking about Pat and Stu’s journey.
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