What causes a person to stray from another, and does one remember the moment in time when infidelity seemed a better choice than honoring the vows of marriage?

Len and Gertrude meet in the 1970s and fall in love. Len concentrates on his studies and graduates as a doctor. They marry, the future is bright for the young couple, and the two settle into a busy life in their hometown of Jacobsburg.

Len adapts quickly to the life of a doctor. As he gains more experience, he is offered the position of the Chief of Medical Staff in a prestigious hospital, and Len and Gertrude’s lives change—they are financially secure and they seem to have everything they’ve ever dreamed of.

Len’s achievements soon shape his inflated ego and he forgets who helped him realize his dreams. Len has an affair, and Gertrude learns she has breast cancer. Their once happy life has turned into something different entirely, and each has their own source of pain to bear. They manage to piece their marriage and lives back together once Gertrude goes through treatment and Len ends the affair.

Thirty-four years later, Len’s indiscretion comes back to haunt him when he suspects his beloved Gertrude may be finding comfort in the arms of another man. Tragedy strikes again, and Len and Gertrude will each learn how important their love and marriage are.

Magid’s beautifully written debut novel strikes at the core of human anguish, the grief of losing a loved one, and the regrets that plague the human spirit.




About the Author



Mannie Magid is a physician and writer. He grew up and graduated from medical school in Johannesburg, South Africa. He and his late wife, Jeannette, moved to Houston, Texas in 1979 where he now resides. He is currently working on five novels and is finishing up an historical fiction about Judaism in ancient Egypt.