A Perfect Fit

A novel by Richard A. Horwitz
Published by Publish America-2002

 

It is never fun being the new kid in class, an outsider looking in, and in “A Perfect Fit”, that is where Adams Jacobs finds himself. His family has to relocate from San Diego to the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas due to the deteriorating health of his grandfather Eli, and in doing so, must endure many cultural changes in the move; going from the hustle and bustle of a big city, to a small town called Joshua Springs. The residents are, to him, losers that have no outlook beyond Wal-Mart, stuck in a dead end city and a dead end future. To compound the matter, he and his family are the only Jewish family in the area. At least he is not alone in one aspect, his mother, Midge, shares his feelings; she is just as out of place as her son. To her, outside appearances are what’s important, what you wear and how you look, not to mention the proper shoes and accessories. Her goal now is to outlive her father in law so they can sell his bookstore, and head back to San Diego as soon as possible.

In the interim, Adam does manage to find a friend in Lonna Dean, another outsider. Lonna is a single teenage mother, something that the members of this small town have no qualms judging her over. Not only do the two of them become friends, it is not long before something stronger begins to develop. In an effort to lure customers to the bookstore, Midge decides to hold a second bar mitzvah for Adam, and have the reception at the store. The only problem is that there is neither a Temple or a Rabbi anywhere near Joshua Springs, so they arrange to have it at the local church, with the pastor standing in for the Rabbi. That, and Adam is eighteen, not thirteen.

You might think that is this a comedy, a Jewish “Green Acres” if you will, and where it does have some very humorous moments, especially in the sarcastic and sardonic wit of Adam, it is much more of a character study that will tug at your heart. Plot twists and turns will keep your finger at the top of the page, ready to turn each one as fast as you can read.

Richard A. Horwitz has a very fast paced style that makes this book perfect for today’s readers, who appear to want everything as fast as they can have it. The characters seem real- three-dimensional characters that take on a life all their own. Moreover, as the book concludes, you wonder what life will bring them next. Unlike most dramas, you will not expect what happens at the end. At least twice in the reading of this story I personally had to stop and take a break, reminding myself that these are characters. My heartstrings are not the easiest to pull, but this one managed to do so nicely. This is a breath-taking story that will leave you taking a deeper look into yourself and the meaning of your life thus far. Moreover, I could see this story used to teach tolerance, as well as giving people the inspiration to chance their life for the better.

The author has managed to create something special between the pages of his novel, a story that will stay with me for a long time to come and give others a lofty goal to aspire to, and for that, I thank him. Find this book, buy this book, read this book-you will be glad you did, I am.