Chabon's grandfather died of cancer in the late 80s; before he did, Chabon cared for him for a week while he was on heavy pain meds. What he learned about the story of his grandfather's life forms the contents of this novel, a 'speculative autobiography.' I can't do this beautiful novel justice here, but it's a gorgeous rendering of the life of a twentieth century American Jewish man: hardscrabble Philadelphia beginnings, intelligence service in WWII, economic opportunities and failures in the booming postwar economy, intense fascination with rocketry and space flight, and a great deal more. Fluid, funny, painful, and full of truth.
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