HOW TO DESIGN A THRESHOLD Father Howard Schoeff knows everything in the future, divine and irreverent. He has come to New York City to tell of its fortune—most whimsical of clairvoyants if you will. Nonetheless, like all of us, Howard feels uncertainties about his life. For one, why did his college girlfriend ever existed only to leave him? Another is why does he feel his sense of humor and off-the-wall style of preaching are the true reasons for his calling. Likewise, Zeyad Nadeem Mugrabi’s life has also taken him down this unexpected path. After leaving his home, the adventurous Sunni stowed away on an oil tanker, hoping to reach Europe. After he lands in Manhattan instead, his jewelry-making talents earn him refuge with Raphael Antonisz, a Jewish businessman, and his socialite daughter, Chereb. She becomes the carefree light between the two humble men. These are just a few of the characters in this pastiche of souls lost and found, set in New York in the 1950s and ’60s.
This ingenious venture from Guevara (Films) launches the main characters—Chereb Antonisz, a Jewish socialite; Zeyad Mugrabi, a Muslim stowaway; Asha Guitierrez, a Filipina schoolgirl; and Father Schoeff, a prophetic priest—into a collision with mystical implications in 1950s New York. At Schoeff’s first sermon at St. Jude’s Cathedral, he predicts the years the Yankees will win the pennant, to the displeasure of Msgr. Randolph, St. Jude’s senior priest. Schoeff’s awkward behavior garners media attention. During a radio interview, he explains that he makes predictions because “Free will can be enhanced, and that is [his] primary duty.”The reader’s enthusiasm for the plot twists may begin to ebb when a character explicitly discloses why Zeyad, Chereb, Asha, and Schoeff were brought together, undermining the pleasure of discovering the plot as the story unfolds. But their interest will be recaptured by Guevara’s tight, poetic wording, which deftly depicts and evokes emotion: “Chereb... fell like a soft stone. Her otherwise street-brass heart at twenty couldn’t be more curious.” Mundane characters drop philosophical nuggets into Schoeff’s lap, and he encounters the divine in the guise of a stranger. Guevara paints a clear picture of these minor characters with vivid phrases and details: “His face had a scar that mowed a line down to his bearded chin... his trousers leaking at the hems.”
Even though death—often gruesome—laces through the story, comedy is there in greater measure. Chereb’s sublime humor bordering on mischief and Msgr. Randolph’s dry sarcasm balance Schoeff’s almost slapstick take: “When Uncle Dam passed away, Schoeff saw the humor of life slip away on ice. It was up to him to maintain balance and not fall.” Snippets of dialogue incorporate the racism of the 1950s, adding a layer of reality and context. Readers of magical realism will enjoy deciphering what is real and what is imagined in this sly, clever novel.
Takeaway: This poignant novel set in 1950s New York engages readers of magical realism with rich language, humor, and deep emotion.
Great for fans of Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Darcie Little Badger’s “Skinwalker, Fast-Talker.”
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: -
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A+
