Novels Now

James Keeper is comfortable with his life. He works in a salvage yard with his childhood friend, he just bought a house with his girlfriend, and things are going well. He has a little regret over his ex-wife but, for the most part, he has moved on. At least he thought he had until he gets a phone call from his former mother-in-law that his ex-wife, Cynthia is in the hospital. Keeper ends up finding out about a son he never knew he had and eventually his son Leo ends up coming to live with him. What follows is a very funny, sometimes touching story of what happens to Keeper’s life when Leo overtakes it.

This was a quick read and I related to it on a lot of levels. Parenthood really does knock the stuffing out of you at times. Especially when you are first starting out. But it is also filled with laughter and blessings.

I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be thrust into it overnight with no preparation, yet this story manages to remain light and humorous while the protagonist deals with some pretty serious issues. My one issue with this book is that the language is a bit strong for me at times. However, I would definitely love to read more by Edward Hardy. (4/5)

Keeper and Kid by Edward Hardy
Contemporary Fiction
2008 Thomas Dunne Books (St. Martin’s Press)
Finished on 4/29/08
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher’s Blurb

Eight years ago, James Keeper fell in love with his upstairs neighbor in Boston, a sassy pastry chef with gray eyes and a fierce attitude. They got married, found a dog, and shopped for cilantro. But conflicting schedules and a real estate deal gone bad took its toll on the twenty-somethings in love. One divorce later, the hand-me-down chairs were separated, the potato masher custody settled, and Keeper moved to Providence to work with his best friend selling antiques at a quirky shop called Love and Death.

A new job, a new love, and a new life now in place, Keeper is in a comfortable situation. Business is steady, Leah (the new love) is intriguing and passionate, and Keeper’s friends always turn up for Sunday evening Card Night.

But one phone call from his former mother-in-law changes everything. And so days later, Keeper comes away with a son he never knew he had, and life all of a sudden takes on a new meaning.

Leo, the precocious three-year-old who sports Keeper’s square chin, is more than a handful—he eats only round foods, refuses to bathe, thinks he’s a bear, and refers to Leah as ‘that man.’ For a guy who never thought he’d be a parent, Keeper is thrown headfirst into fatherhood—and has no idea what to do. As Keeper and Leo adjust to the shock of each other and their suddenly very different lives, Keeper begins to let the people in his life in, in turns strange and heartwarming, funny and painful. But some, like Leah, aren’t so eager for change.

In this humorous and poignant novel, Edward Hardy explores the depths of modern love, parenthood, and compromise. Keeper and Kid is the story of how a normal guy receives an unexpected gift and in turn must learn to ask more of others and himself. A coming-of-age story for the guy who thought he had already grown up, Keeper and Kid is a sharp and witty account of what we do for love.

I’m always a bit hesitant to say yes when I get an email from an author, asking if I’d like to review his book. Forget Google alerts. It’s pretty much a given in this situation that they’re going to read my review (and hope that those who read my blog will go out and buy their book), so I want to be fair, yet I also don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings with negative comments. Edward Hardy need not worry. Keeper and Kid is a wonderful book. Anyone who’s raised a child (or taken care of a toddler for any length of time) will appreciate the humor in this story. Reading the book outside on our deck, I found myself laughing out loud so many times, I began to worry the neighbors would wonder what was really in my coffee mug!

I’m not sure how I missed this book; the cover is bright and cheery and one that would normally entice me to give it more than a passing glance. Yet, I don’t even remember seeing it in the store! This will definitely go on my list of books to use on my summer picks display at work next month. (This month’s end cap is set with my favorite coming of age books.)

My daughter is in her twenties and it’s been over a year since I was “nanny” to my two nieces, but I still remember the joys and frustrations of taking care of a three-year-old. Vividly! You know. A three-year-old who knows exactly how she likes her sandwich cut (with the crusts cut off and sliced on a diagonal. But not if it’s a tuna sandwich! Then you leave the crusts on and cut it in quarters. Duh!), or why she has to wear her tutu with her snow boots at nap time, or why she simply must get in the car on the right hand side and heaven forbid, NOT the left side. Three-year-olds can be quite stubborn particular. I’ve glanced through the book, checking out all the passages I marked with Post-It flags. There are quite a few, but they only make sense in the context of several paragraphs. You’ll just have to trust me on this. Keeper and Kid is one funny, moving book.

My only quibble is that I found the romantic drama between Keeper and Leah a bit tedious. Quite frankly, I would’ve liked to have read more about Leo’s antics and the hilarious dialogue between Keeper and Leo and a little bit less about Keeper’s self-pity and juvenile attempts to win back Leah. But never once did I feel like tossing the book against the wall or calling it quits. Of course, now I’m anxious to check out Hardy’s debut novel (Geyser Life). That one slipped under my radar, too!

I guess it’s lucky for me that I missed Keeper and Kid when it first came out. Now I own a signed first edition. Thanks, Edward. You’ve got a keeper!

Isn’t this a cute cover?! I just love it. Keeper and Kid by Edward Hardy is about a single dad trying to be a father to a 3 year-old child he never even knew he had. It’s about the shock one gets with a child when one realizes your life will never be your own again. It’s also about how our lives are made even richer for it. Struggling to make his job and his relationships work with a new child in his life, James Keeper is just overwhelmed with it all. But little Leo is so cute and says the cutest things. Children are like that. They frustrate and inspire simultaneously. I enjoyed reading this book about child rearing and relationships from a man’s perspective, though the language was a bit strong for my tastes. I’d be interested in reading the sequel if the author decides to write one.

2008, 294 pp.
Rating: 3.5/5