Isn’t it funny how the flipping of a quarter imbues it with a worth much greater than 25 cents? And isn’t it funny how fair and just the flipping of a coin is? It has no intention, it has no loyalties or emotions, it is simply a matter of physics, in all its perfect complexity. Often there can be no substitute for that perfection. This is one of the central themes surrounding Daniel Asa Rose’s quirky, witty novel about the dissolution of a marriage. Set in Providence, Rhode Island, it is the story of divorce told from the frequently overlooked male perspective. However, this is not to say that Rose’s work is focused on exacting some kind of literary gender equality. The novel explores some of the ancient forces at work that pull the strings of modern life. 

Thomas’ life is rudely interrupted when his wife decides to leave him and pursue a romance with a florist whose specialty is rare flower hybrids, all appearing phallic. As he begins finding these odd flowers around the house, Thomas realizes that he is now locked in a struggle for custody of his two young boys. His wife, Jane, hires a sultry temptress lawyer who tries to woo Thomas into surrendering while Thomas hires the ugliest and most expensive bulldog lawyer he can find. In the end, each of them are symbols for the ugly options that await failing marriages, picking sides and fighting dirty. Symbols are ever-present in Rose’s work, but they aren’t burdened with the heavy, artsy, symbolic meaning that only grad students agonize over. Instead, they are funny and eye-opening, bringing together various parts of the novel like fitting pieces of a puzzle together. For instance, a poor pet goat who is neutered with a rubber band or a young boy who wants to be sure that his chocolate milk has gravity. It may sound strange at first, but when looked at as a whole, by the end of the novel everything has taken on a greater importance through the interweaving of these ideas.

Perhaps most important is that Flipping For It is a life-affirming novel. It is a novel that is funny and strange, but  it enhances the mystery and beauty of life, something often overlooked in this fast-paced, materialistic society.