Aaron loses his wife Dorothy in a freak accident that almost destroys his house. Despite his efforts to keep the well-wishers at bay, he finds he does need some help: from his sister (for a place to stay), a contractor (to help put his world back together), his work mates (to give him a sense of purpose and normalcy), and from his wife, who visits for a few minutes here and there.
Aaron isn't particularly likable. Because one arm is weak and the hand tends to curl and one leg needs a brace, he's never wanted to be "taken care of," and that translates as a huge chip on his shoulder. Dorothy isn't particularly likable either, she's socially inept and seemed to hide from relationships by being "doctor" at all times rather than "woman."
Because I didn't particularly care for the people at the center of the story, it took quite a bit of time before I started to put my dislike for them aside and begin to care about the story itself. It does come together to mean more -- to feel larger than these two lives. I guess it's a kind of triumph that these very real characters were pulled into service as central figures, warts and all.
B-
