Since his celebrated debut, The Object of My Affection, Stephen McCauley has produced a series of comedic literary gems. His focus has tended toward ne'er-do-well gay men in seasons of arrested development, placed in the unlikely position of providing support for family and friends. In this closely observed eighth novel, McCauley opens the aperture noticeably to bring the whole family into greater clarity, in a portrait that may be his best yet.
At age 63, Tom Kemp has acted as a stabilizing force for his flighty sister, Dorothy, and fatherless niece, Cecily, for decades. But Cecily is now facing a Title IX investigation at Deerpath College in Chicago, where she is a professor of American studies. And Dorothy has invited everyone to join her at the opening of a retreat center in Woodstock, N.Y.--which she has sunk more money into than she can afford. You Only Call When You're in Trouble takes the shape of a novel rife with situational comedy, dramatic secrets, and hard-earned wisdom.