Review by K.T Sullivan
Harry,
named in honor of Harry Houdini, is a self-help author. His speeches are in the
book. Most focus on introspection and motivation. He is consumed by both. He’s
grieving the loss of his wife. He believes he is full of faith and doubt. Her dog,
Ralph, is his constant companion. He is better at offering advice and inspiring
people from afar than relationships. He lives on Martha’s Vineyard in the
winter. Very few people and rarely any visitors are around. A woman arrives at
his door, bleeding and hurt from a car accident. With no way to get around, she
stays with him. Eventually she becomes his partner and house sitter when he
leaves to promote his books. There’s little romance, just two people in search
of a companion.
This book
is told in the first person and shifts through different times in Harry’s life.
His parents, wife, writing, and speaking to audiences, Harry doesn’t stay
still. There are a lot of quotes and speeches based on his books. They are the
best parts of the book. These are my two favorite quotes. “Whatever you’re
afraid of will find you.” “Do you believe the universe is friendly or
unfriendly?” The answers to these thoughts should be used as a guide through
life. Interesting and thought provoking book.
Purchase the book at:
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About the Author:
Nicholas
Montemarano’s latest novel, The Book of Why, is recently out in paperback from Little, Brown. It was
also published in the UK, Russia, and Brazil. He is the author of a previous
novel, A Fine Place (2002), and the short story
collection If the Sky Falls (2005), a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice. His short stories
have appeared in Esquire, Zoetrope: All-Story, Tin House, The
Southern Review, AGNI, The Gettysburg Review, The Antioch Review, DoubleTake, The Washington Post Magazine, and many other publications. His fiction has been reprinted
in The Pushcart Prize and cited as distinguished stories of the year in The
Best American Short Stories four times. He is the recipient of fellowships
from The National Endowment for the Arts, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts,
The MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, the Edward F. Albee Foundation, and the Bread Loaf
Writers’ Conference. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, Montemarano now
lives in Lancaster, PA, where he teaches at Franklin & Marshall College.
Connect with the author at:
