The Two Lives of William Niemand: A Novel

William Niemand earns his living as an English teacher in Los Angeles, the capital of the Santa Ana winds. For most of his life, he has been tortured by a terrible secret that taints his perception of reality, and by feelings of guilt over the death of his first love.

Although he is married, his wife refuses to live with him, accusing him of sabotaging her residency application. As part of his profession, he interacts on a daily level with people, yet he finds it difficult to interact with his students and his colleagues, with the exception of two former students. One day, on his fiftieth birthday, his two friends, one a Mexican priest, the other a Saudi language student, surprise him with gifts that could be life changing, depending on how William reacts to the world around him.