The Palace Thief

This is the only story in the collection to be written in third person limited point of view. Baseball-obsessed, 54-year-old Wilson Kohler entertains his 20-year-old visiting son, Brent, who is in Boston for a layover before he goes back to college in Oregon. Wilson looks forward to the visit, as he has been isolated since his wife, Abbie, left him three years ago for Tad Heinz, a vice president at his company. Wilson is devastated, and there is an incident where he encounters Tad in a parking lot and punches him.

When it comes to women, Wilson has a few misadventures with some he meets in random places—on a plane, after a traffic accident, and in Boston’s bar scene. However, in his heart, he feels “not only could he not replace Abbie, he still could not imagine what replacing her would involve” (135).

Wilson and Brent go to a Red Sox baseball game. Wilson longs to be close to Brent, but he is unsure of how to interact with him. Brent has changed significantly; he has a pierced ear and does community work during the summers, which has included volunteering with The Homeless Alliance in Brooklyn and ta The Sanctuary, a women’s shelter.