A novel set over the course of a weekend in New York. Paul Essinger is a midranking professional tennis player on the verge of retirement. Whenever he qualifies for the US Open, his family gather in Manhattan to watch him play. Their reunion is set against the backdrop of their family history - Paul's father is an American Jew, his mother is a German Christian – and the personal and historical tensions that formed the context for their childhood. Over the course of the weekend, many of these tensions will be brought into play again.