LITERATURE

Published 2024. Now available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DBPC1J57

The Cullivans

“Profound yet often hysterically funny, The Cullivans is an epic story tracing four generations of an immigrant family – with Irish, Hungarian, Sicilian, Greek and Mexican roots – as they strive for, attain, and eventually deal with the realities of the American Dream, succession and family dynamics.  Call it unforgettable, call it acute critical social perspective, call it The Great American Novel… this may be the best book you read all year.”

A spectacular blaze, labeled “of suspicious origin,” has destroyed Kilkenny Lamp Shades, a major manufacturer privately held for 65 years.  Among the dozen most-likely arson suspects are nine second and third generation Cullivan family members, all of whom are Kilkenny stockholders conveniently in town at the time of the fire to attend the funeral of the company’s CEO, the current family patriarch.

But The Cullivans is far from a simple who-done-it novel, in fact solving the mystery is secondary to the long tale of a proud interwoven family coming to terms with the idea that truth is relative and highly subjective.  It’s the story of four generations of an immigrant family struggling to achieve and then grapple with The American Dream, which of course is in the eye of the beholder.

Paramount to the story is the founding and growth of two distinctly different family businesses – Kilkenny Lamp Shades, a wholesale supplier of a rather dull commodity, and Pied Affaire, a highly-profitable hotel chain catering to Americans practicing infidelity.

Each chapter is voiced – often humorously – from the individual viewpoint of one of 17 decidedly-nuanced major characters ranging in age from 12 to 81.  Each functions independently as a short story, but as the years go by highly-complicated family dynamics are revealed.  It’s remarkable how long opinions and misconceptions can linger.  Perspective is everything.

Although the primary location is Southern California, The Cullivans includes colorful chapters set in Sicily, Greece, Mexico, Scotland, Hawaii, Montana, New York and Minnesota.

Eventually, the mystery is solved and the arsonist revealed, but that only leads to the unveiling of the real story: how current and subsequent generations of Cullivans can exist as an extended family.  There are plenty of surprises.

The Cullivans is a fascinating read filled with interesting historic and contemporary commentary, heartfelt family and social dynamics, and a generous dose of humor.

Published 2023. Now available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wall-s-Dave-Lutes/dp/B0C128M185

The Wall(s)

When it comes to the American dream of an early retirement in paradise, be careful what you wish for. Happiness can be a moving target.

“Hysterically funny yet heartfelt, The Wall(s) is a fast-paced novella exploring family dynamics, contemporary social issues and the ever-evolving relationship between the US and Mexico.  It’s not at all what you expect.  Profoundly entertaining and thought provoking.”

Craig McCormick, a well-meaning State of Rhode Island civil servant, and his spirited high-earning wife, Linda, are raising fraternal twins who seem to share nothing but a birthdate.  While navigating the hamster-wheel cycle of consumerism, the McCormicks are keenly aware of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow of public service – an early retirement in America’s most prominent Shangri-la for seniors, The Villages in Florida, a real-life Orwellian Disneyesque paradise that is impossible to exaggerate.  After four years of activity-filled bliss, Craig’s overly generous state pension is abruptly shut off and the couple faces the reality that their meager nest egg and Linda’s social security will no longer support their lifestyle.  Eventually, they realize that in Mexico their remaining income will more than suffice, yet years of US economic woes have radically changed the dynamic between neighboring countries.  Imagine a world where the majority of traffic at the US/Mexico border is in the south bound lane.  Thanks to an ambitious young Trip Advisor-savvy coyote, Craig and Linda endure a harrowing trip across the wall to a visa-less existence in a country they barely understand but learn to love.  The McCormicks become undocumented residents in a fascinating new world filled with PR-conscious cartel bosses, over-zealous telecommuting expats, and amazing cultural complexity until events in the US bring them home again.  We won’t spoil the outcome.

Whether you’re retiring soon or in decades to come, whether you have your heart set on America’s sunbelt or are imaging life as an expat, The Wall(s) is an indispensable road map to family relationships and expectations.  Retirement can be like a Viagra commercial.  But your golden-years-plan could become a noose if it doesn’t involve flexibility.  Piercing social commentary in perhaps the funniest book you’ll read this year. 

“Imagine Don Draper penning a novella that’s simply impossible to put down.  There’s nothing more compelling than the emotion, impact and wit of exceptionally composed American advertising.  For decades, Dave Lutes was an acknowledged master of the craft.  As an author he’s even better.”