New York University professor Darin Strauss’s (The Real McCoy) new novel sets aside his past interest in limning American history for a story set in contemporary America, more specifically Long Island. Josh Goldin, a media salesman, is embroiled in a battle to keep his infant son as local authorities suspect his wife of suffering from Munchausen syndrome, a psychiatric disorder in which sufferers crave medical attention so acutely that they harm themselves or their children. This conflict allows Strauss to unleash a fusillade of satire and irony on various worthy targets.