Together

Two couples whose lives center on Manhattan-Nina and David Northrup, Kitty and Mort Hinks-seem to have it all. What others see is the couples' wonderful children, successful careers, stylish homes in upscale neighborhoods, and lifestyles that combine comfort and luxury. But image does not a marriage make. Members of this quartet are dissatisfied enough to begin love affairs. What they don't know is that Mort becomes Nina's lover while his wife becomes intimately involved with Nina's husband. How long can the amorous quartet keep their secrets? And even more important, how long will they want to?

Ellen (Hawley) Roddick wrote Together while living in New York. She shaped the story around a tale told to her by one of the mothers at a private school favored by actors, moguls, and liberals. She also drew on her own romances and fantasies, adding a strong dose of details from real life in Manhattan.