A PLACE IN LIFE is a fictional memoir about the life of a boy told through a series of catastrophic events and failed relationships.
Young Joe grows up quickly after learning his father won’t be returning from the Korean War. On the same day, his mother is killed by a speeding car. Forced to endure the sterility of New York’s child protective institutions, he is pulled cross-country and finds himself fighting to overcome the old world bigotry of the immigrant family who adopts him.
So begins Joe’s journey. We are led through Joe’s childhood, adolescence, formative years, through Vietnam and beyond. Unsettling yet honest, the story examines a plain spoken love story and complex relationships between a fathers sons. We see Joe experience hardships, both common place and unusual—while the common issues connect us, the unusual situations make this story a unique and compelling read.
Readers will respect Joe for his courage in the face of adversity, be disappointed in his judgment and celebrate his successes. He grows into a complex man, but we come to understand him completely and emphatically.
A Place in Life is an unflinching commentary on the best and the worst that we are capable of, and the tenderness that keep two people together in the face of all odds.