Standard Deviation

The celebrated author of the short story collection Single, Carefree, Mellow ("Wry, bittersweet...like Cheever mixed with Ephron." — The New York Times Book Review ) returns with a hilarious and rueful debut novel of love, marriage, infidelity, and origami. When Graham Cavanaugh divorced his first wife it was to marry his girlfriend, Audra, a woman as irrepressible as she is spontaneous and fun. But, Graham learns, life with Audra can also be exhausting, constantly interrupted by chatty phone calls, picky-eater houseguests, and invitations to weddings of people he's never met. Audra firmly believes that through the sheer force of her personality she can overcome the most socially challenging interactions, shepherding her son through awkward playdates and origami club, and even deciding to establish a friendship with Graham's first wife, Elspeth. Graham isn't sure he understands why Audra longs to be friends with the woman he divorced. After all, former...