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이탈리아계 미국인으로 뉴욕의 롱아일랜드에서 평생을 살아온 제리 베틀은 은퇴 후, 소형 비행기를 타고 홀로 하늘을 나는 것으로 소일하는 인물이다. 그런데, 임신한 딸에게 찾아온 중병과 딸의 치료 거부, 가업을 위태롭게 하는 아들, 양로원에 계신 아버지의 쓰러짐, 아내와의 사별 후 만난 여자친구 리타 사이에서의 갈등 등으로 인해 그는 자신을 둘러싼 인간관계에 대해 더이상 무심한 태도를 취할 수 없게 되는데... 2005년 타임지 선정 '당신이 놓쳤을 수도 있는 훌륭한 책 6권' 중 하나로, 재미작가 이창래 씨의 세 번째 작품이다. 가족이라는 이름으로 서로에게 부과되는 의무와 책임, 오해와 갈등에 대해 성찰하며 현대 사회의 가족 해체 문제에 대해 이야기한다.

At 59, Jerry Battle is coasting through life. His favorite pastime is flying his small plane high above Long Island. Aloft, he can escape from the troubles that plague his family, neighbors, and loved ones on the ground. But he can't stay in the air forever. Only months before his 60th birthday, a culmination of family crises finally pull Jerry down from his emotionally distant course.

Jerry learns that his family's stability is in jeopardy. His father, Hank, is growing increasingly unhappy in his assisted living facility. His son, Jack, has taken over the family landscaping business but is running it into bankruptcy. His daughter, Theresa, has become pregnant and has been diagnosed with cancer. His longtime girlfriend, Rita, who helped raise his children, has now moved in with another man. And Jerry still has unanswered questions that he must face regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of his late wife.

Since the day his wife died, Jerry has turned avoiding conflict into an art form-the perfect expression being his solitary flights from which he can look down on a world that appears serene and unscathed. From his comfortable distance, he can't see the messy details, let alone begin to confront them. But Jerry is learning that in avoiding conflict, he is also avoiding contact with the people he loves most.

Written with a captivating urgency, Aloft is a witty social critique of contemporary suburban America and a deft portrait of a man struggling to balance his responsibilities with his freedoms. It is the story of Jerry Battle learning to cope with life's messy details, and the redemption he finds when he finally chooses to immerse himself in them.


--- FROM THE PUBLISHER