Thomas

Thomas is one of several residents of an apartment building in New York City who is in recovery from a stroke. Because of the stroke, Thomas has lost control of his dominant hand, and has therefore been forced to give up on his career as a painter. Furthermore, in response to the loneliness and uselessness that Thomas feels because of his disability, he begins self-harming.

At the outset of the novel, Thomas finds himself plagued by feelings of irrelevancy and struggles to find meaning in his life following the destruction of his painting career. This outlook begins to change, however, when he meets Adeleine, his neighbor across the hall in whom he develops a keen romantic interest. Thomas begins slowly lowering his own defenses while encouraging Adeleine to lower hers, and the pair develop a mutually encouraging, healthy romantic relationship.

Thomas finally finds a sense of meaning when...