In booming post-war Brooklyn, the Nowak Piano Company is an American success story, whose reputation rivals that of Mason & Hamlin or even Steinway. President Peter Nowak and his wife Francine are the children of Polish immigrants, proud to have a significant name "in a city full of significant names.” Even if Peter is a little prickly, and Francine a bit private, the Nowaks are well-regarded in their Brooklyn enclave. There is just one problem: the Nowaks' only son, David.A handsome boy and shy like his mother, David struggles with neuroses that cripple his ability to connect with other children, not to mention the tight-knit community around him. If not for his only friend Marianne--a pretty, enigmatic girl with religious leanings recently moved to the neighborhood--David’s life would likely be intolerable. With Marianne, David captures brief moments of freedom and happiness, even as Marianne’s family issues concerns about David’s eccentricities.” But the sudden deat
