July 30, 2015.
ISBN: 978-1-61695-4594-9
This introspective debut novel
chronicles the ups and downs in the life of Ray Welter, a farm boy who rose to
the top of his profession until his inner self caught up with him. Then he tossed it all away in effort to
escape everything he had left behind in Chicago: a high-paying advertising job,
a wife, and a way of life with which he had increasingly become
disenchanted. He takes off to the
Scottish Isle of Jura. And rents, for
six months (with the last of his funds which he hopes to spend before his wife
grabs the money in the divorce settlement), the cottage where George Orwell
wrote and finished the satirical novel “*Nineteen Eighty-Four*.”
The inhabitants of Jura are an eccentric
bunch, protective of each other and their way of life, especially disdainful of
outsiders, tourists and the like. Ray’s
intrusion sets up many amusing situations.
That Inner Hebrides island is known for its single malt scotch, and Ray
consumes a prodigious amount in an effort to either lose or find himself. In the meantime, not only does he have to
cope with his own troubles but also deal with the foibles and problems arising
from the various characters in the community.
The author uses comedy to mask the
seriousness of the novel, which deeply probes Ray’s thinking, seeking to define
the good and bad of his life as he knows it and distilling the results until
Ray can reach an inner peace. It is
quite an achievement, rarely seen in a first effort. Can Ray reach his nirvana? Read and enjoy the book, which is highly
recommended, and find out.
------Reviewer: Theodore Feit
Andrew
Ervin grew up in the
Philadelphia suburbs and has lived in Budapest, Illinois, and Louisiana. He has
a degree in philosophy and religion from Goucher College and completed his MFA
in fiction at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His short fiction
has appeared in Conjunctions, The Southern Review, Fiction International, and
elsewhere. He currently lives in Philadelphia with his wife, flutist Elivi Varga.
andrewervin.com
Ted and Gloria Feit
live in Long Beach, NY, a few miles outside New
York City. For 26 years, Gloria was the manager of a medium-sized
litigation firm in lower Manhattan. Her husband, Ted, is an attorney and former
stock analyst, publicist and writer/editor for, over the years, several daily,
weekly and monthly publications. Having always been avid mystery readers,
and since they're now retired, they're able to indulge that passion.
Their reviews appear online as well as in three print publications in the
UK and US. On a more personal note: both having been widowed, Gloria and
Ted have five children and nine grandchildren between them.
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