Publisher's Synopsis
"COME! COME WITH ME! Let me take you to meet my friends from childhood: giants, gypsies, wizards, musicians, singers, dancers, poets, tellers of tall tales, god-fearing Grandmothers, funny little gnome-chasing dogs, and the hairy-kneed misbehaving boys that ran with them, and oh, the pigeon-toed precocious girls who tormented their hearts."
The story of Artie Spelman, a small boy growing up in the streets of Los Angeles during World War II, is sure to engage and beguile you. In this mesmerizing autobiographical novel by musician turned writer Arthur Spelman, you will come to know Papa Eudie Theocarides, the courageous and wise Greek giant; Uncle Harley Brown, the singing- guardian; The Gnome Exemplumonious, the one-time houseboy of Adam and Eve; The Alcazarians, including the handsome, beloved "Duck" and the clubfooted genius Sol Rubenstein; Ahava, the little girl who survived; Grandma Brown, the loving matriarch; Orange Pasha, a cat who saved a man from the electric chair; Muggs McGinnis, the noble little dog who offers his soul; and, of course, Artie himself, a seven year old boy who sleeps in the bathtub and who offers his ear to the music of life. In the spirit of Big Fish, this novel bears witness to Good vs. Evil, Magic vs. Mundane, Courage vs. Cowardice, and all the wonderful foibles, folly, and joy that come with the responsibility of a heartbeat.
