Another reviewer on Goodreads loves MR. BOARDWALK: "I really enjoyed reading this book.... It was interesting that everybody in his [the protagonist Jason's] life kept telling him to be a better 'partner' and he didn't realize how to do this until the unthinkable."
In the juggling metaphor that pervades the book, Jason must learn how to "pass," and this takes many years. Is he a typical American male?