Timothy Sunderland

Rules for Giving Timothy Sunderland

The struggles of running a successful business. Rivalries with corporate partners out to steal clients. Romantic relationships, past and present. A family legacy of alcoholism. A soft spot for the homeless. This is the life of fifty-five-year-old Gavin Oliver.

In his novel Rules for Giving, Timothy Sunderland explores a host of obstacles and challenges faced by men of all ages but-in a departure from the predominant mode-from the perspective of a male protagonist.

Gavin's world, peopled with a host of colorful characters, teeters on the edge. Things slide into chaos, though, when he is visited by the memory of a long-ago girlfriend and a morning spent with her at an abortion clinic. He also discovers a former partner has stolen his largest client. Lissa, his wife, fears Gavin has lost focus on the important things. Then there is also the constant pull of the bottle. Events engulf Gavin, putting his career, his marriage-and even his life-at risk.

Offering insight into how those trials can shape men's day-to-day lives and personalities, Rules for Giving also poses important moral questions on abortion, gay and straight relationships, the homeless, and how acts of kindness can pay off in unexpected ways.

If you are a fan of malecentric fiction, novels such as Up in the Air by Walter Kirn and Sideways by Rex Pickett, then you will enjoy Rules for Giving.