God's Gift to Women

God's Gift to Women follows Scott, an egocentric thirtysomething in crisis mode, on a long run: the 1995 New York Marathon. As the story traces his difficult, five hour trek through the streets of New York City on the coldest race day ever, it simultaneously delves into Scott's memories of a dozen past and present girlfriends. There's Angie (his high school sweetheart, who died young), Donna, Nancy, Jamie, and Rachel, as well as Faith, Gina, Marcia, and Jane. There's Patricia, who is not to be confused with Patty, his cyber love, also known as Diva28, and Wendy, his current love and possible future wife. If the book's title takes a jab at its protagonist's obsessions, it also foreshadows his epiphany: God's real gift to women is that, if all goes well, they outlast their men.