Talking in Bed Author:Antonya Nelson In a Chicago hospital, the deaths of their fathers (one expected and longed for, the other a shot out of the blue) bring together two men: heady, intellectual Evan Cole and oafish Adonis Paddy Limbach. An unlikely friendship develops between them. This is not, however, a macho tale of men discovering their missing, complementary half but a domes... more »tic drama centered on the woman they both love, Evan's earthy, maternal wife, Rachel. After three well-received short story collections, Nelson crosses over effectively to the longer form with eloquent prose and characters who, on the whole, breathe on the page. The exception is Didi, Paddy's wife, who is painted as a religious-right goofus with absolutely no good points. Talking in Bed is, as its plain title implies, also about marital -- and sexual -- intimacy: what secrets lovers keep from each other and how these hidden thoughts can corrode a good relationship. In the end we see, as Rachel does, that neither man fits her needs exactly and that every relationship requires some private space, a good deal of compromise, and, yes, plenty of late-night conversations. A story of modern family life that is both compelling and enjoyable.« less