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Jesse's Girl
The story opens as a jarring phone wakes lifelong Brooklynite and widowed father Teddy Mentor well after midnight. It's the Montana wilderness program saying that his 16-year-old adopted son has run away - and they haven't a clue where he's gone. Only two weeks ago, Jesse had been taken to the program by escorts to deal with substance abuse problems. Jeopardizing his flagging PR job in New York, Mentor rushes across the country to find Jesse, who is off on his own to find Theresa, the sister he's never known. When Teddy finally discovers Jesse at a bus stop in Illinois, he is torn between sending him back or joining his son on a journey to find this girl in Kentucky. But he decides to go and they become embroiled in a grisly crime when Theresa's abusive husband Beau attacks her - Jesse stabs the big beast of a man, leaving him for dead.
340 pages, Paperback
First published March 13, 2009
About the author
Gary Morgenstein
18 books14 followersI've published six novels. My most recent book is the dystopian political novel "A Fastball for Freedom", Book Two in The Dark Depths series, published by BHC Press. It's been called a dystopian Field of Dreams. Book One is "A Mound Over Hell," characterized as 1984 Meets Shoeless Joe. My previous novels were "Jesse's Girl"; "Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman"; "Take Me Out to the ballgame"; and "The Man Who Wanted to Play Center Field for the New York Yankees."
I'm also a playwright. My Broadway World award-winning (Best Play) funny new drama about bringing people together, "A Black and White Cookie," is premiering July 9-24 at The Tank theater on West 36th Street in Manhattan. thetanknyc.org
I'm also a playwright. My Broadway World award-winning (Best Play) funny new drama about bringing people together, "A Black and White Cookie," is premiering July 9-24 at The Tank theater on West 36th Street in Manhattan. thetanknyc.org
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 5, 2009
By Daisy Whitney The BookChick "BookChick.com" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Gary Morgenstein pulls no punches in this story. With gut-wrenching honesty, he shows a parent's pain at not being able to help a son in trouble...but he also illustrates the possiblities that can unfold when that parent doesn't stop trying...A suspense-filled journey towards hope and truth, with danger lurking at every turn...This book, it humor and heart, will keep you turning the pages.
(REAL NAME)
Gary Morgenstein pulls no punches in this story. With gut-wrenching honesty, he shows a parent's pain at not being able to help a son in trouble...but he also illustrates the possiblities that can unfold when that parent doesn't stop trying...A suspense-filled journey towards hope and truth, with danger lurking at every turn...This book, it humor and heart, will keep you turning the pages.
June 27, 2012
Blood is thicker than love...
I initially liked Jesse's father, Teddy Mentor, but he seemed to grow weaker more and more ineffective as a father as the story progressed. And as the body count mounted, I became a frustrated with how Teddy could only to react to the never-ending stream of issues created by his son, Jesse. I like a hero to grow stronger through the course of a story, not continually demonstrate his weak points.
Of course, the other side of this is that the teenage character, Jesse, was quite well-written, always running off half-cocked and with only half a plan, so his "solutions" only led to bigger problems - which seemed very realistic.
My main complaint was that the plot was elusive. Bad things kept happening, and the characters kept reacting to those bad things, and then another bad thing would happen... When Teddy and Jesse and Co got a chance to regroup, they still weren't capable of any real planning, and no one seemed to learn or grow in a positive way during the story.
I thought the basic plot was for the father to save the son, and for the son to mature somewhat. But in the end, Jesse was still drinking, and not even hiding it from Teddy, and there was no suggestion that he would go into treatment for chemical dependency. Teddy had lost his job and spent every penny he had during the course of "saving" Jesse, but apparently Jesse's big inheritance heals all wounds, and negates the need for real-life consequences.
I also didn't care for the final concept that an adopted child would just shake off the parents who raised him and align his loyalty with the blood family he'd never known. Is blood (and a convenient inheritance) really that much thicker than time, attention, and love?
The characters intrigued me enough to keep me reading to the end, I will say that. I enjoyed the relationship Teddy formed with Sheriff Jenks, and doubly enjoyed that not-young or physically perfect Teddy found love on this journey with not-young or physically perfect Celia. That was the icing, really.
I initially liked Jesse's father, Teddy Mentor, but he seemed to grow weaker more and more ineffective as a father as the story progressed. And as the body count mounted, I became a frustrated with how Teddy could only to react to the never-ending stream of issues created by his son, Jesse. I like a hero to grow stronger through the course of a story, not continually demonstrate his weak points.
Of course, the other side of this is that the teenage character, Jesse, was quite well-written, always running off half-cocked and with only half a plan, so his "solutions" only led to bigger problems - which seemed very realistic.
My main complaint was that the plot was elusive. Bad things kept happening, and the characters kept reacting to those bad things, and then another bad thing would happen... When Teddy and Jesse and Co got a chance to regroup, they still weren't capable of any real planning, and no one seemed to learn or grow in a positive way during the story.
I thought the basic plot was for the father to save the son, and for the son to mature somewhat. But in the end, Jesse was still drinking, and not even hiding it from Teddy, and there was no suggestion that he would go into treatment for chemical dependency. Teddy had lost his job and spent every penny he had during the course of "saving" Jesse, but apparently Jesse's big inheritance heals all wounds, and negates the need for real-life consequences.
I also didn't care for the final concept that an adopted child would just shake off the parents who raised him and align his loyalty with the blood family he'd never known. Is blood (and a convenient inheritance) really that much thicker than time, attention, and love?
The characters intrigued me enough to keep me reading to the end, I will say that. I enjoyed the relationship Teddy formed with Sheriff Jenks, and doubly enjoyed that not-young or physically perfect Teddy found love on this journey with not-young or physically perfect Celia. That was the icing, really.
June 14, 2009
Synopsis:
Teddy Mentor is woken up in the middle of the night by a call from the Montana wilderness program informing him that his 16 year old adopted son, Jesse, has run away. Jesse had just begun the court mandated substance abuse program and no one knows where he might have gone.
Mentor has his own problems. Divorced and widowed by Jesse's mother, Mentor is barely getting by in his PR job in NY. But Mentor leaves his Brooklyn apartment and heads to Montana to find Jesse. Checking all leads, skulking after drug dealers, getting thrown in jail, and constantly searching, Mentor eventually runs into Jesse at an isolated bus station. In an effort to bond with his son, Mentor agrees to drive Jesse to meet a girl in Kentucky. Jesse's girl is in an abusive relationship and somehow Mentor finds himself on the run with Jesse and Theresa.
Review:
The strength and complexity of parental love was one of the dominant themes in Jesse's Girl. While I'm not knowledgeable about adoption, addiction or spousal abuse, all of which permeate and shape the story, but I was engrossed by how these complex issues drove the characters. I wasn't drawn to any of the main characters and was frustrated by Jesse, but I found myself involved and interested in their shared journey. While it differed from my usual read, I found Jesse's Girl engrossing, difficult to put down.
This was my first Gary Morgenstein novel, and hadn't known what to expect. The author and his main character live in my neighborhood in Brooklyn, and this made the work of particular personal interest as well. The strength of his writing and narrative encourage me to look for his other books.
Warning: The book contains adult subject matter and strong language.
Teddy Mentor is woken up in the middle of the night by a call from the Montana wilderness program informing him that his 16 year old adopted son, Jesse, has run away. Jesse had just begun the court mandated substance abuse program and no one knows where he might have gone.
Mentor has his own problems. Divorced and widowed by Jesse's mother, Mentor is barely getting by in his PR job in NY. But Mentor leaves his Brooklyn apartment and heads to Montana to find Jesse. Checking all leads, skulking after drug dealers, getting thrown in jail, and constantly searching, Mentor eventually runs into Jesse at an isolated bus station. In an effort to bond with his son, Mentor agrees to drive Jesse to meet a girl in Kentucky. Jesse's girl is in an abusive relationship and somehow Mentor finds himself on the run with Jesse and Theresa.
Review:
The strength and complexity of parental love was one of the dominant themes in Jesse's Girl. While I'm not knowledgeable about adoption, addiction or spousal abuse, all of which permeate and shape the story, but I was engrossed by how these complex issues drove the characters. I wasn't drawn to any of the main characters and was frustrated by Jesse, but I found myself involved and interested in their shared journey. While it differed from my usual read, I found Jesse's Girl engrossing, difficult to put down.
This was my first Gary Morgenstein novel, and hadn't known what to expect. The author and his main character live in my neighborhood in Brooklyn, and this made the work of particular personal interest as well. The strength of his writing and narrative encourage me to look for his other books.
Warning: The book contains adult subject matter and strong language.
June 16, 2009
Jesse is a troubled teen who has a drug problem. His adoptive father Teddy often questions himself. He feels that Jesse's adoptive mother, Molly, was a better parent. A tragic accident took Molly's life. Not long after this event Jesse started getting into more trouble. Teddy, not sure how to handle all of this, sends Jesse to a Wilderness retreat in the hopes that he will sober up. Jesse escapes from the treatment center and Teddy begins a desperate search to find his son. When Teddy finally tracks Jesse down, they go on a wild, crazy, dangerous adventure and begin to understand each other and themselves.
Anyone who has ever experienced unconditional love for someone less than perfect should read this book. I truly hope Gary plans on writing many more novels. I've added him to the "author's who I have to have all of their books" list.
Anyone who has ever experienced unconditional love for someone less than perfect should read this book. I truly hope Gary plans on writing many more novels. I've added him to the "author's who I have to have all of their books" list.
June 18, 2009
As a parent of 3 children (3, 8,9) this book had me thinking about and of course worrying about the things my kids might get into when they get older. I wonder, while I know I would love them without a doubt regardless of their choices in life, how far will I go for them? Teddy, Jesse’s adopted father, reminded me of my own dad and step-dad who loved me unconditionally no matter how frustrating I may have been at times growing up. I highly recommend this book filled with raw emotions to any parent struggling with doubt of their abilities while loving their older kids. (WARNING…there is foul language in this novel.)
September 2, 2015
Jesse's Girl
This is a good read as a book of reconciliation between a father and his son. Adopted son Jesse is an addict who has lost his adopted mother and blames his adopted father. His quest to find his birth family leads to this journey. Although not entirely believable, it is still an enjoyable story. My only complaint is the editing, which left a lot of misspelled words and incorrect punctuation marks. If the author reads this, hopefully his editors will do a better job in the next book.
This is a good read as a book of reconciliation between a father and his son. Adopted son Jesse is an addict who has lost his adopted mother and blames his adopted father. His quest to find his birth family leads to this journey. Although not entirely believable, it is still an enjoyable story. My only complaint is the editing, which left a lot of misspelled words and incorrect punctuation marks. If the author reads this, hopefully his editors will do a better job in the next book.
January 5, 2013
Full disclosure - this book was written by a dear friend of mine. Given his political leanings (inside joke), I was a little worried about what I might find between its covers. The result was a surprisingly pleasant and refreshingly earnest look at the fractured relationship between a struggling father and his troubled son. Though the latter half of the book unfortunately dissolved into a bit of a thriller, it still remains quite the enjoyable read.
Read
June 24, 2009I was really excited about this book of a father who will do almost anything to save his son from the bonds of drugs. I mostly enjoyed the first section entitled "Jesse" but then the next section "Theresa" just lost my interest (I can't pinpoint why) so I never did finish reading the book.
I may try to read this book at a later time.
I may try to read this book at a later time.
March 17, 2011
A complex story of family relationships that are strained and a teen who is out of control. It is very well written and the character of the teen, Jesse, is finely drawn. This is a poignant story of how people are pushed apart then find their way back. A good read.
April 3, 2012
This was pretty crap, really... but it was free, so whatever.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews