Recently widowed, Albert Schmidt has triumphantly rediscovered
domestic bliss in the Hamptons with Carrie, the Puerto Rican
waitress who is younger than his daughter. Schmidt is content with
keeping his own hours and steering his own course, even as he
becomes entertained--and increasingly ensnared-- by the odd
billionaire Michael Mansour. Among Schmidt's other heartbreaks
and delights is the scandal engulfing his detested son-in-law.
Where will it all lead? Is Mansour a true friend or just a big cat
playing with a WASP mouse? Can May and December remain on the same
calendar as the sun sets? Through it all, one thing is clear:
Schmidt has found a new life far beyond the deck chair.
With the elegance and mordant wit readers have come to expect of
him, Louis Begley has created a magnificent story of how virtue may
be rewarded.
