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Don Juan in Hankey, PA [Paperback]

Gale Martin
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)

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Book Description

November 11, 2011
A socialite, a retired dermatologist, a hometown opera singer, and a bipolar ketchup heiress have dreams of turning the Hankey Opera House into Lincoln Center on the Schuylkill River. The reality is that the Hankey Opera Company stands on the brink of financial ruin. They think mounting an ambitious production of Mozart's Don Giovanni, a popular opera about history's most legendary womanizer, will solve their problems. It only compounds them.

After the leading man pulls out of his contract, they wager their future on a rising star, an Argentine baritone with marquee-idol looks who is an incorrigible, untameable modern-day Don Juan. Will his constant need for sex drag the opera company down with him?

DON JUAN IN HANKEY, PA will have readers flying through its pages. Prior knowledge about opera is optional. Love of laughter is absolutely essential.

Praise for DON JUAN IN HANKEY, PA:

"A fast, fun read with wit, charm, and can-do optimism at its heart. Some authors write comedy with aplomb. Others excel at infusing stories with emotional warmth. Martin combines both in a debut novel that will have you doubled over, laughing, that deserves to be welcomed with a hearty brava." - Kaylie Jones, author of LIES MY MOTHER NEVER TOLD ME

"Gale Martin has written a clever and enchanting story that sings from the first page to its last. Opera buffs and novices will enjoy the juicy drama and intrigue that happens both on and behind the stage. What a treat!" - Margo Candela, author of GOOD-BYE TO ALL THAT

"Like a fabulous production, DON JUAN IN HANKEY, PA seethes with wild jealousies, convoluted mysteries, wry comic turns, resident ghosts, mysterious assailants, bold intrigues, longing, love, lust, and - of course - plenty of opera. Gale Martin's novel is 'meraviglioso!'" - Lenore Hart, author of BECKY

"Hold onto your libretti! Gale Martin takes opera, and mayhem, to new heights in her laugh-out-loud, rollicking, confection of a novel. One part romance, one part mystery, DON JUAN IN HANKEY, PA will sweep you off your feet. You won't want to put it down!" - Nina Solomon, author of THE SINGLE WIFE

"A lively romp about a dysfunctional, small-town opera guild. Martin writes about the Pennsylvania Dutch and opera fanatics with the same verve that Garrison Keillor writes about Minnesota Lutherans and public radio." - Richard Fellinger, author of THEY HOVER OVER US

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Packed with comic misadventures, mystery, intrigue and opera lore, the book rollicks along to a satisfying conclusion....The details involved in putting on an important opera are fascinating and true, particularly the technical discussions about staging...readers need not be opera buffs to enjoy this novel." - Kirkus Reviews

"Gale Martin is an opera fan who writes about opera for fun. She has outdone herself with this musically themed farce about love and sex among the members of a small-town opera company...[A] charming, intelligent and welcome first novel. Expect more from Gale Martin - she's on a roll." -- Curled Up with a Good Book

Finalist in the 2012 National Indie Excellence Awards - New Fiction

From the Author

Truth be told, I had a complete blast - a party in my head every day - writing DON JUAN IN HANKEY, PA, my backstage novel about a small-town opera guild and all the problems they encounter producing Mozart's Don Giovanni. Seduction. Visits from ghosts. Murder. Comic intrigues. Convoluted mysteries. And, of course, lust, longing, lust, love. Have I mentioned unbridled lust?

After the baritone singing the title role pulls out of his contract, the guild hires a gifted gaucho from Argentina who won a fictional, international opera contest called Operatoonity. Hence, the name for my blog celebrating opera is also Operatoonity!

Here are some of my favorite review snippets from readers and reviewers just like YOU:
  • "'Don Juan' perfectly captures our own faults, those of ambition, greed, lust and naivety, and makes us laugh at our own self-importance. This book strikes a human chord in such a comical way that I couldn't put it down."
  • "Guess what? I want to learn more about opera now. What fun and how clever."
  • "I want more from this author. I will recommend this book to all my friends."
  • "What makes this novel so special is that are the many levels to discover and enjoy, as in every good novel."
  • "Now maybe I don't know much about opera or Mozart but I'm pretty sure I know a good book when I read one and Don Juan in Hankey, PA is definitely a good book."
  • "I REALLY LOVED THE BOOK!!! Honestly, I wish there was a sequel already."
  • "Don Juan in Hankey, PA will help your own heart sing. And who among us doesn't yearn for that?"

Product Details

  • Paperback: 308 pages
  • Publisher: Booktrope Editions (November 11, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1935961403
  • ISBN-13: 978-1935961406
  • Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,234,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Website: http://galemartin.me
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Gale_Martin (@Gale_Martin)
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/GaleMartinAuthor
Email: galemartin.writer@gmail.com

Gale Martin is an award-winning writer of contemporary fiction who plied her childhood penchant for telling tall tales into a legitimate literary pursuit once she hit midlife. She began writing her first novel at age eleven, finishing it three and a half decades later.

Her first novel, DON JUAN IN HANKEY, PA, is a humorous homage to Don Giovanni, Mozart's famous tragicomic opera about the last two days of Don Juan's life. It was named a Finalist in the 2012 National Indie Excellence Awards for New Fiction. Her second novel GRACE UNEXPECTED is wryly witty women's fiction featuring Grace Savage, a 30-something protagonist with a heart of gold, wrapped in lead.

Gale would commit a misdemeanor to score some Babybel cheese and goes weak-kneed for hummingbirds. She is a wife and mother of one and a communications director by profession.

She blogs about opera--the art form, not the platform and is an opera reviewer for Bachtrack, an online site featuring classical performance worldwide. She can name any aria in three notes. Okay, five notes, perfectly sung, with full orchestration.

She has a master of arts in creative writing from Wilkes University. She lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, which serves as a rich source of inspiration for her writing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo. December 7, 2011
Format:Paperback
If you like to laugh, if you like quick paced action and if you like well drawn characters, then this book is a must read. Follow the desperate actions of a small group of dedicated opera folks as they try to save their opera house by staging a fantastic production. Laugh till it hurts while you whisk your way through this thoroughly enjoyable first novel from a truly talented author.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars You made me love opera December 3, 2011
By anewfan
Format:Kindle Edition
I started out skeptical--a farce about opera in a small town? I'm now a fan, of Hankey PA, of opera, and the laugh-out-loud escapades of these folks in the opera guild. Fantastic! I hope Gale Martin will be giving us more, and soon. "A New Fan."
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A sparkling gem of a read December 4, 2011
By ggsanch
Format:Paperback
One doesn't have to be an opera fan or even know a single thing about opera to appreciate this fun, fresh, fast-paced book by talented new author Gale Martin. It has just the right balance of great characters, unpredictable story line & witty humor to keep the reader hooked until the last page. As I read the book, I kept thinking what a great play or even film it would make. I want to see lots more from Ms. Martin!!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars Not my cup of tea
I didn't find the book to be even mildly amusing. I got half way through before deciding it wasn't worth reading. It's a waste of money and a waste of time.
Published 13 days ago by In-the-know
4.0 out of 5 stars Opera? Who knew?
I didn't know until I started reading the book that its title refers to an opera. But you don't have to love opera as much as i do to enjoy this romp. Read more
Published 24 days ago by shirley Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun and a good laugh
Gale Martin has done it again with a fast-paced send-up of the world of opera. A well written, and hilarious tale involving the angst of producing a glamorous opera successfully... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Diana M. Hockley
4.0 out of 5 stars Still laughing at loud
Think of some of PG Wodehouses funniest mix ups, and apply it to a small town Pennsylvania Opera House. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Domino
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book!
I loved the story, characters, and humor of Don Juan in Hankey Pa. It was such a fun book with many twists and turns. I highly recommend this book.
Published 9 months ago by MH Johnston
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun!
I know don't know much about opera, but I loved this book! I didn't want it to end. The plot is great fun, and the characters charmingly developed. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Janice Curran
5.0 out of 5 stars I found my inner Don.
What a fun read! While the characters might seem over-the-top, you know some of these people, even the ghosts! Read more
Published 10 months ago by Jim Craig
5.0 out of 5 stars Super!
Actually, I'm always a bit sceptical to the books of the modern authors. But this book impressed me. It's funny and a bit sad in the same time. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Gina
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Read
Okay, so I might have enjoyed this story because I have two kids who grew up loving theatre, but anyway I found it entertaining. Read more
Published 11 months ago by RT
5.0 out of 5 stars Dogs and Circuses
Warning: Reading this book will lead to an insatiable desire to own a dachshund puppy or three, and to the downloading of a sharply revised playlist on your iPod. Read more
Published 12 months ago by L. Herr-Gelatt, Library Director
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