Aloft

Jerry Battle's family is large, multicultural, and riddled with problems. His Korean wife drowned in the swimming pool 20 years ago. He has broken up with his longtime Puerto Rican girlfriend, whom he misses. His daughter, pregnant by her Asian-American boyfriend, has a life-threatening illness. His son is a bit of a wastrel. And his elderly father is frustrated by the "assisted living center" where he has been forced to move. To get away from it all, Jerry goes up in his private plane--an indulgence that, he realizes as events move to a conclusion, is not the way to deal with the complications of a rich life. A New York Times Notable Book for 2004.