The characters are well developed though not necessarily likeable;the uber-successful couple who divorce, the lawyer co-worker who sets in motion the divorce and ultimate marriage to the older divorcee, his precocious son, the manipulative ex-wife, etc. etc. The setting is life amongst the priviledged New Yorkers with an emphasis on Central Park to be specific. For anyone who enjoys reading about believeable flawed individuals you will love this book. The author is herself a former lawyer (Wesleyan undergrad, Harvard Law) who started writing when she had her first child. She is the wife of Michael Chabon.