Jim Kokoris

Sister North by Jim Kokoris

Sam, an attorney from Chicago led a mundane life. Down on his luck after a tragic (violent) incident, which greatly impacted his life. He starts to watch Sister North on T.V. and feels he may have a chance at redemption, if only he could talk to the Nun. He travels to Lake Eagleton Wisconsin to meet Sister North and speak to her personally. But when he arrives he finds she is missing, not sure when she is coming back, or if she will return at all.

An original story that moves at a steady pace with complex characters. Each person wants to speak to the Nun for their own personal reason. Each is battling their own demons, yet they all seek the same thing, guidance, forgiveness, acceptance. With vivid detail and raw emotions I really got to feel what each person felt, especially Sam. Troubled as he may be, I was still hoping he was able to find what he was looking for. Overall I found Sister North an (emotional) enjoyable read and feel others will enjoy it as well.… (more)

I'm not sure how to categorise this book. In many ways you could say it's 'women's fiction' - but told from a man's point of view. Wikipedia tells me that women's fiction has been defined: "a commercial novel about a woman on the brink of life change and personal growth. Her journey details emotional reflection and action that transforms her and her relationships with others, and includes a hopeful/upbeat ending with regard to her romantic relationship." Well, replace "about a woman" with "about a man" in that definition and you've got Jim Kokoris's novel in a nutshell. I fell for the story - the part that's pitched at the 'father' demographic. This father is, however, ever worse a father than I am. Actually, I think this is a deliberate hyperbolic mechanism used by Kokoris. The father readers laugh at or are shocked by Charlie Baker's incompetence as a parent, but Kokoris makes Charlie believable enough that the readers ask "wait, could I really be a bit like that?" Unfortunately, when I asked myself this question, the answer was a decided "yes, I'm a lot like that". Where this book failed me is its romantic conclusion. I don't read romance, for the reason that the world is not really like that. The real story of Charlie Baker has to end with a lot more doubt and ambiguity than Kokoris suggests.… (more)

First, this gets five stars for heavily referencing one of my favorite road trip books, Blue Highways. And five for its 'no one could write this unless they've lived it' After reading the book I checked and, yes, the author has. spot-on depiction of life with a challenged child/young adult. But only four stars for the story itself. As good as it was, some of the related family drama seemed a little too staged, especially the behavior of the supposed-to-be adult daughters. Maybe it was there to add tension but to me it was more of a distraction. And last, there just aren't enough stars to give for the honest and heartfelt quotables scattered throughout its pages.… (more)