Donald “Don” Tillman

Don is the main character and narrator of this novel. He was the husband of Rosie. He was employed as a geneticist by Columbia University. Because he was a scientist Don thought in a way that was very logical. He had difficulty making emotional connections and described himself as being socially inept.

Even though he’d been married to Rosie for more than ten months he was still adjusting to being married. Because of a comment made by a virtual stranger, Don began to doubt his capabilities as a father. He spent the course of the novel proving to himself and to Rosie that he could be a good father. One of the activities in which Don participated in order to try to improve his fatherhood skills was watching children play at a playground. Because he acted awkwardly around the police who came to question what...