“You’re crazy!”
A number of family and friends
Why crazy? Could be he moved to the Middle East after the Gulf War and stayed for eight years. Could be he moved there a second time, staying for nearly seven more. Could be he retired at 44, agreeing to buy his retirement home, in South America, on his first day there without seeing the nearest town in the daytime... for starters.
Does this small-town boy from humble beginnings live in another reality? Yes, after realizing at an early age that if he lived a life like most everyone, he’d get a life like most everyone. John wanted something different. John got something different, and then some, and then some more. His unique perspective on life will leave you enlightened.
From his earliest memories to his latest doings, in MISFIT 3, the third book in the series, John recounts 36 more of his make-you-laugh, make-you-cry, make-you-think stories. Like jigsaw puzzle pieces, as you continue putting them together, you’ll see more of the big picture, the story of John’s life unexpected.
Several chapters deal with serious incidents: learning that his stepfather has cancer and facing the deaths of a family friend and also of a favorite teacher, whom readers of Misfit 2 will recall. These tales of loss give this collection a slightly more melancholic tone, as does the conclusion of a star-crossed romance, though that’s balanced out by wry wisdom and amusing anecdotes, some putting a new spin on familiar settings, like a pungent recollection of the rigors of cleaning the facilities of a tour boat he captained.
A few stories will seem familiar to readers of earlier entries. But there are still some surprises, including how the author got a job teaching in the Middle East. And we also get a closer look at his life in Ecuador, in a house of rammed-earth walls on a road that "aspire[s] to gravel." John's manner of exposition remains as roundabout as ever, taking unpredictable swerves— a yarn about seeing a porn film in a small Midwest town begins with Jaws and ends with an aside about UAE brothels. But the journey, however elliptical, is most of the fun, and brief mentions about witnessing an execution indicate John has more yarns left to spin.
Takeaway: Amusing, surprising stories about growing up, living abroad, and finding yourself.
Comparable Titles: V.D. Bucket’s Bucket to Greece series, Aisha Shakti Hakim’s An American Teacher in the UAE.
Production grades
Cover: C
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
