Review of My One and Only (2009) by Dg J — 31 Jul 2011

In New York City in 1953, Ann Deveraux lives with her bandleader husband Danny, their 15-year-old son George, and Ann's somewhat older effeminate son Robbie. Ann does not seem very interested in her children's lives; she does not even remember which school they attend. After catching Danny in an affair, Ann tells him she is leaving him and taking the children with her. She removes cash from her safe deposit box and sends George out with it to buy a Cadillac. The salesmen are suspicious, but Ann drops by later herself.

Ann embarks with Robbie and George on a road trip through the United States, in search of a husband to fund a new life for her and her boys. They first stay in Boston and Pittsburgh. Several men turn out to be disappointments for Ann. One has financial problems and asks for a large sum of money; when she does not seem willing to give it, he steals the money in her purse, unable to pay for the lavish dinner they both shared. Another man, one Ann met briefly at a party a year before, offers to pay for it, eventually leading the two to date and become engaged. But when Ann and George discover his abusiveness, they leave. One man sexually assaults her; one is in love with another woman. She becomes engaged to a man who she later discovers is a polygamist. Ann is briefly put in jail after chatting in a bar with a man who turns out to be an undercover police officer, who takes her for a prostitute and charges her with solicitation.

George decides he wants to live with his father, but Danny turns him down because he is often on the road for his work. George is greatly disappointed and concludes that Danny does not love him. Later, when George asks Danny why he does not support them financially, he says he sent money several times, but Ann always returned it.