"Motherland"

Amy Sohn's novels include Prospect Park West, My Old Man, and Run Catch Kiss. She has written television pilots for such networks as HBO, Fox, and ABC.

Sohn applied the Page 69 Test to her new novel, Motherland, and reported the following:

On page 69 of Motherland, a gay dad named Marco is trying to quiet a colicky newborn whom he and his husband have just adopted. The baby is their second child and Marco is alone in a cottage on Cape Cod with both kids by himself because his husband is away on business. A couple of interesting things about the scene: 1) Marco refers to the possibility that gay marriage may someday be legal in NY state. The book takes place in 2010 and I wanted to nod to a future event that had not occurred in the timeline of the book (NYS legalized gay marriage in June 2011.) 2) The scene is about the downward spiral a parent feels when a baby will not stop crying. Marco is trying everything he can but nothing is working. It's a very dark moment for him, one that epitomizes the dilemma in his relationship - Todd wanted a new baby but Marco would be the one to take care of him. 3) There is a moment where a nickel drops out of the baby's mouth. Even though the baby is fine Marco finds the experience harrowing. In the shock and horror he feels, Marco realizes just how tough his life is about to become.

Learn more about the book and author at Amy Sohn's website.

--Marshal Zeringue