Charming, gay, newly-retired lawyer Henry gets emeshed with his ex-wife and his "lost" stepdaughter. Feel good novel populated with quirky characters.

Reading Lipman's novels is a bit like taking a spoon to a bowl of Cool Whip. You are not going to get much beyond the light fun-ness of the tale. Her characters are straightforward and her writing style makes their motivations so transparent without seeming blatant. "The Family Man" is no exception. It's the tale of a man reunited with this long-lost stepdaughter. Henry Archer is a genuine man who lives deliberately, if not a bit gay-stereotypically. Thalia, the step-daughter, is a truly quirky character. You cannot tell if she is as ditzy as she sometimes seems.

Ultimately, the story is about the redefining the modern family. It's a light, fun read. ( )

This was a cut below Lipman's usual fare. Still, it was a light, fun read. ( )

I loved this book! It is light reading, perfect for "cleansing the palate" between weightier tomes. It makes me want to read all of the other Elinor Lipman books. ( )

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. A divorced gay man's vanquished paternalism returns when he reconnects with his long-lost stepdaughter in Lipman's hilarious and moving 10th novel. Set in New York, the book opens with Henry Archer phoning his ex-wife, Denise, to offer condolences over the death of her husband, the man Denise divorced then-closeted Henry for. Upon visiting Denise, Henry notices photos of now grown stepdaughter Thalia, a charming wannabe actress he recognizes from the hair salon in his neighborhood, and determines to reenter her life. What ensues is a heartwarming reconnection as Henry and Thalia relearn what it means to be a father and daughter, respectively. When Thalia is hired by a PR firm to play the role of real-life girlfriend to a struggling actor, Henry's fatherly instinct and legal background compel him to ask Thalia to move in with him and to serve as her attorney. During the process of managing Thalia's career, Henry also grows closer to Denise, meets a handsome man and rediscovers the joy of family. The plot alone will suck in readers, but Lipman's knack for creating lovable and multifaceted characters is the real draw.