Atria, Dec 2003, 24.00
ISBN: 0743436717
Forty-seven year old Tom Good was once a rising rock and roll superstar during the 1970s when he simply left the music scenes. Now he works at night as a San Diego bartender and collects royalties while ignoring his glorious past except when he hears one of his hits played in the supermarket. Surprisingly though he makes no effort to make a comeback, he enjoys writing songs, but only in the context of a rigid schedule with room for no change.
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Good's idyllic world of habit is in for a change when he learns he may be the father of a ten year old boy. The mother of the lad Diana prefers not to have a relationship with Good who is trying to change his ways. Worse his probable offspring Jack wants nothing to do with Good. Still he tries to finally grow up making overtures of friendship and caring to an elderly neighbor and a single mother with loud (no Brady Bunch) children.
Though the ending is too much like a fairy tale like with the hermit Good becoming good neighbor Sam, this warm insightful coming of age of a middle class person is a solid tale. The story line centers on Good's struggle into adulthood that seems genuine due to the aging man-child seeming real. As he changes from selfish self-centered middle aged Peter Pan to a likeable caring nice person dealing with setbacks as he tries to transform, fans of Sara Lewis will hope he succeeds.
Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner
