Review: The Paternity Test by Michael Lowenthal

Title: The Paternity Test Author: Michael Lowenthal Publication Date: September 27, 2012
Synopsis:
Having a baby to save a marriage—it’s the oldest of clichés. But what if the marriage at risk is a gay one, and having a baby involves a surrogate mother?
     Pat Faunce is a faltering romantic, a former poetry major who now writes textbooks. A decade into his relationship with Stu, an airline pilot from a fraught Jewish family, he fears he’s losing Stu to other men—and losing himself in their “no rules” arrangement. Yearning for a baby and a deeper commitment, he pressures Stu to move from Manhattan to Cape Cod, to the cottage where Pat spent boyhood summers.
     As they struggle to adjust to their new life, they enlist a surrogate: Debora, a charismatic Brazilian immigrant, married to Danny, an American carpenter. Gradually, Pat and Debora bond, drawn together by the logistics of getting pregnant and away from their spouses. Pat gets caught between loyalties—to Stu and his family, to Debora, to his own potent desires—and wonders: is he fit to be a father?
~My Thoughts~
Pat and Stu have been a couple for over a decade. They love each other, but their relationship is strained. Their "no rules" rule has caused many problems between them and they decide to finally commit to just each other and move to a new place. Along with this move, they have decided to have a baby via surrogate. They find the perfect person to be their surrogate and start trying for a baby. Only they never could have imagined the stress and complications that come along with it. The Paternity Test is a very honest and raw look at life within a gay relationship and what happens when two men decide they want to be parents. For women, it is much easier to accomplish this goal as they can find a donor of their choice and carry the child themselves. But for two men, it is so much harder. They have to find a woman willing to carry a child for them, and one that is also willing to give that child up. It is an incredibly stressful situation for all involved. I wasn't sure how this was going to play out and I'll be honest and tell you that reading this book kept my blood pressure very high! I was anxious and scared for both Pat and Stu, and I was heartbroken for Debora, the surrogate.
The story is told from Pat's point of view and through his thoughts we travel back in time to when he first met Stu. He recalls many different periods of their relationship and we get an emotional look into their lives together. Stu, a pilot, is always looking for a new hookup. He meets with random men for satisfaction while away on his job and Pat is at home. Pat, on the other hand, does not stray (without Stu coming along at least) and wants nothing more than to have Stu commit to just him. I felt sad for Pat when he had to sit back and not say how hurt he was with what Stu was doing.
Even so, I could only sympathize with him for so long. He let Stu walk all over him and he never stood up for himself. Or, on the rare occasions he did manage to say something, Stu would become even angrier with him for defending himself. Honestly, I grew a little tired of Pat and hoped he would kick Stu to the curb. I just had a hard time believing that someone who was in love, gay or not, would just sit by and allow their partner to continue sleeping around. But then again, not being a middle aged gay man, I can't really know first hand how life would be from this angle.  Aside from the relationship between Pat and Stu, there are many other disasters waiting to happen. Stu's family is very religious and have a hard time accepting Stu's choices. There is constant drama between his sister, her husband and their parents who all seem rather selfish. But the main concern throughout the story is the budding relationship between Pat and Debora. Both in strained relationships, they start to confide in each other and grow very close. It was like watching a train wreck, you knew this was not a good thing but you couldn't help but keep watching.  Overall, this was an incredibly intense read. The writing is very good, especially if you like thick, meaty sentences with lots of detail, and the author definitely knows how to build up to the ultimate climax. I was a little unhappy with how the story ended, but I think it also needed to be done this way.  I recommend this book to anyone looking for an intense and heavy read, rich with emotion and intrigue. Have you ever wondered what happens when a couple chooses surrogacy? This book will not disappoint.  For more about Michael Lowenthal and The Paternity Test, visit his website here.

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