Inventor (A Novel of Obsession)

We are all biologically programmed to be able to love more than one person in our life-time. The worst misfortune can be to love more than one person at the same time. In this emotionally charged story the narrator analyzes how he began to fall in love with a strangely unique young woman while still hopelessly in love with his wife. Like most incidents that result in divorce, the story begins with a secret. Gwen Torin says something that so upsets her husband Ian that he keeps his unhappiness secret. But unlike the progress of every marriage that actually breaks, though Ian begins to fantasize about finding someone who will understand his needs, he cannot build his dissatisfaction with Gwen into the hatred needed to the cut the emotional ties. She is too nice. As one reader commented of Gwen, "Who would want to divorce this woman?" At the same time Ian is developing emotional ties with Jessie, who inspires him as well as fascinates him. Slowly, over time, he begins to discover that this very different young woman, whose mother committed suicide, may have serious psychological and emotional problems that make her especially vulnerable. Before long Ian finds himself in love with two different women, and has no inkling on how to find a way out without hurting one of them.