Rules for Giving

By Timothy Sunderland. Self-published, 2016. 315 pages. $11.99/paperback; $3.99/eBook.

A teenage couple visits a California abortion clinic in 1971. The result is not what they expect. Thirty-six years later they come together to deal with what happened. The power of the personal illuminates the story of middle-aged Gavin Oliver, a fundamentally generous businessman who uses alcohol to fend off romantic secrets, guilty memories, and marital turmoil. After a violent incident, he finally turns inward. Events prompt Gavin to lean into love, to follow inner guidance despite high risks and costs. Friends will appreciate Gavin’s struggle with privacy, ethics, intimacy, and motivations for generosity. —description by Judith Favor