Professor of genetics Don Tillman takes a
scientific approach to life’s daily problems, eschewing variety and spontaneity
in favour of systematic efficiency (epitomised by his seven day Standardised
Meal System) and rejecting many social niceties as illogical.
This puts him on the autism spectrum
somewhere to the right of Dr Sheldon Cooper (of The Big Bang Theory) whose
voice I was unable to avoid attributing to Tillman as he narrates his story,
despite the setting being Australia rather than the US.
At 39 years old Tillman deduces it is time
to find a life partner so he initiates the Wife Project and pursues it with a
scientific rigour that has predictably amusing results. However it does throw
Rosie into his path, and though she is eminently unsuitable wife material,
failing several key criteria, he does agree to use his professional expertise
to help her establish her paternity – initiating the Father Project.
The Father Project leads him into even more
scrapes than the Wife Project, but he is surprised to find enjoyment in the new
experiences; or is it just the sharing of them with Rosie? There are twists and
turns as she has issues of her own, and the outcome is uncertain right to the end.
Don Tillman’s character, though
unconventional, is totally believable and quickly gets the reader on side. The
humour, misunderstandings, and emotional highs and lows are all there and are
handled well to produce a fine romantic comedy.
No comments:
Post a Comment