The Land of Steady Habits
Ted Thompson, 2014
Little, Brown
272 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780316186568
Summary
Anders Hill, entering his early sixties and seemingly ensconced in the "land of steady habits"—a nickname for the affluent, morally strict hamlets of Connecticut that dot his commuter rail line—abandons his career and family for a new condo and a new life. Stripped of the comforts of his previous identity, Anders turns up at a holiday party full of his ex-wife's friends and is suprised to find that the very world he rejected may be one he needs.
Thus Anders embarks on a clumsy, hilarious, and heartbreaking journey to reconcile his past with his present. Like the early work of John Updike, Ted Thompson's first novel finely observes a man in deep conflict with his community.
With compassion for its characters and fresh insight into the American tradition of the "suburban narrative," The Land of Steady Habits introduces an auspicious talent. (From the publisher.)