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Jesse's Girl [Paperback]

Gary Morgenstein
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)

Price: $17.99 & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Book Description

March 13, 2009
The story opens as a jarring phone wakes lifelong Brooklynite and widowed father Teddy Mentor well after midnight. It's the Montana wilderness program saying that his 16-year-old adopted son has run away - and they haven't a clue where he's gone. Only two weeks ago, Jesse had been taken to the program by escorts to deal with substance abuse problems. Jeopardizing his flagging PR job in New York, Mentor rushes across the country to find Jesse, who is off on his own quest: to find Theresa, the sister he's never known. When Teddy finally discovers Jesse at a bus stop in Illinois, he is torn between sending him back or joining his son on a journey to find this girl in Kentucky. But he decides to go and they become embroiled in a grisly crime when Theresa's abusive husband Beau attacks her - Jesse stabs the big beast of a man, leaving him for dead.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A highly respected playwright, author and media executive, Gary Morgenstein is the author of three other sensational novels.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 340 pages
  • Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 13, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1441492240
  • ISBN-13: 978-1441492241
  • Product Dimensions: 0.7 x 8.9 x 5.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,755,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Now that my play "Right on Target" finished a successful run at the 2012 New York International Fringe Festival, I'm returning to writing a novel. Stay tuned.

My previous books are "Jesse's Girl," a thriller about a widowed Brooklyn father who searches for his adopted teenage son, who has run away from a Montana wilderness drug treatment program to find his biological sister in Kentucky. In the romantic triangle "Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman," a divorced middle-aged man falls in love with a beautiful, enigmatic woman rabbi, while still in love with his ex-wife. "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," a political baseball novel -- baseball and bailouts, as American as appple pie --follows a Cinderella baseball team led by a ruthless owner with political ambitions. "The Man Who Wanted to Play Center Field for the New York Yankees" is a baseball Rocky. All are available on Amazon.

My previous plays were "Ponzi Man," "Mad Mel and the Marradians" and "A Tomato Can't Grow in the Bronx." I'm also executive producer/creator of the web series "Acts of Love," about relationships, which can be found at mediablvdmagazine.com

And remember to join me Thursdays at 9PM/ET for my radio show, "Purple Haze" at blogtalkradio.com/mediablvd. The number is 347-205-9801.

My dating and relationship book, "How to Find a Woman...Or Not" provides a comic guide to finding true love anywhere on Planet Earth -- in the gym, on the street, riding mass transit, waiting to get your teeth cleaned, visiting a friend in the hospital, buying a book or lamb chops -- or dating online.



Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Really solid book May 27, 2009
Format:Paperback
I received Jesse's Girl by Gary Morgenstein for review yesterday. While I was intrigued, I wasn't particularly hopeful that it was going to be much of a page-turner. Was I ever wrong. I really got into the story from the very beginning. As I come from a family that has had its own issues with addiction and chemical dependence, it is possible that I was able to better relate to the characters in this novel, thus making it more real to me.

The premise of the book centers on Teddy Mentor and his sixteen year old adopted son, Jesse. Jesse has been sent away to a wilderness program in rural Montana in a last ditch effort to put an end to the drug problems that have plagued him for years. The problems escalated after the death of his adopted mother (and Teddy's soon to be ex wife), and had reached a point where Teddy had to admit he was incapable of controlling or protecting his child. With nowhere else to turn, he entrusts his only child to the professionals at the Mountain Wilderness Center.

Big mistake. Not two weeks later he gets a 1AM phone call. His son is missing. Risking his job, he books a flight away from Brooklyn and towards his son. After a couple days of searching, he gets the break he needs and tracks his son to a bus stop in Illinois, en route to Kentucky to meet his long-lost birth sister (whom Jesse leads Teddy to believe is his long-distance girlfriend). Jesse swears up and down that he is done with the drugs; in that convincing way all users seem to have. However, it isn't long before Teddy notices that he is missing some of his antidepressants and that his son occasionally reeks of beer. Jesse's lies come to a head when he OD's on heroin in the middle of the night while sharing a hotel room with his dad.

Torn between institutionalizing Jesse for his own good and joining him on his trek to meet his `girlfriend', Teddy relents and the two continue on to Kentucky. When they arrive at Theresa's, they are introduced to her `brother' Beau. Beau is actually Theresa's abusive husband, and within a few hours he and Jesse get into a particularly brutal altercation that ends with Jesse stabbing him. This unintentional act of violence spurs a run from the law that leads Teddy and Jesse into the heart of Jesse's birth family. It also forces the two to address the issues that have destroyed their relationship.

Jesse's Girl was a very unexpected read. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. Not only was it an emotional family drama, it was also full of action and even (a little) romance. I easily give it five stars.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A Raw Story of Unconditional Love August 4, 2009
Format:Paperback
As a parent of 3 children (3, 8,9) this book had me thinking about and of course worrying about the things my kids might get into when they get older. I wonder, while I know I would love them without a doubt regardless of their choices in life, how far will I go for them? Teddy, Jesse's adopted father, reminded me of my own dad and step-dad who loved me unconditionally no matter how frustrating I may have been at times growing up. I highly recommend this book filled with raw emotions to any pa...more As a parent of 3 children (3, 8,9) this book had me thinking about and of course worrying about the things my kids might get into when they get older. I wonder, while I know I would love them without a doubt regardless of their choices in life, how far will I go for them? Teddy, Jesse's adopted father, reminded me of my own dad and step-dad who loved me unconditionally no matter how frustrating I may have been at times growing up. I highly recommend this book filled with raw emotions to any parent struggling with doubt of their abilities while loving their older kids. (WARNING...there is foul language in this novel.)
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Too many mistakes March 27, 2012
By Domino
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have not finished this book, but the mistakes are just killing me. Morgantown is not the capitol of WV (Charleston duh) and Carter Caves is not in Carter National Park. It is Carter Caves State Park in Kentucky. Has this author ever even been to this part of the country? The park doesn't have tour guides through the caves, they have park rangers. And of course, stereotypes abound. I am from there and I have never lived in a trailer park or had a husband I referred to as my brother, etc. etc.
I am going to finish the book because I want to see the development of the relationships, which is good so far, but please, try a fact checker, an editor, or write about a place you actually know! Oh, and Theresa is practically illiterate, but that would be an oddity in an area that is filled with colleges and universities, she is like a character from some past time (little dumb southern girl with a cute butt in her Daisy Duke shorts) ERG. I might change my star to a 1.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars A few interesting twists...
For most of the read, I had a hard time figuring out where it was going -- was it mainly about the insecure father or mainly about the rebel without a cause teenager? Read more
Published 11 months ago by Always Cogitating
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
I was pleasantly surprised with this one. The story pulled me right in. No nonsense and so different from the standard genres of books out there, this might be the best "free" book... Read more
Published 13 months ago by mommabear
4.0 out of 5 stars Jesse's Girl
This is a very touching book about a father and a son. This book is well worth the read. Unfortunately, I think many families can relate to the struggles that this family faced.
Published 14 months ago by Cindy Aldredge
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read Overall
Kept me interested but some parts just are not so realistic.Twist and turn of events was good. Liked it overall.
Published 14 months ago by carol
4.0 out of 5 stars Jesse's Girl
Never read any book by Gary Morgenstein before. I love mystery, fiction, thrillers. The story line was good, the characters were wonderful and well balanced. Read more
Published 14 months ago by candi
3.0 out of 5 stars Horrible start and finish - middle was good.
I had several issues with this book - the first being the complete lack of proof-reading and/or editing. On numerous occasions Jesse's name was misspelled as Jessie. Really? Read more
Published 15 months ago by Brandy
3.0 out of 5 stars Jesse's Girl- Okay
When I first started reading, I liked this book alot, the characters Jesse and Teddy were well put together and I enjoyed where the story seemed to be going; Jesse's struggle with... Read more
Published 15 months ago by noterica54
3.0 out of 5 stars Blood is thicker than love
I initially liked Jesse's father, Teddy Mentor, but he seemed to grow weaker more and more ineffective as a father as the story progressed. Read more
Published 15 months ago by S. M. Johnson
2.0 out of 5 stars Not so good.
I think that you should save your money on this one. It was poorly written. I also found it hard to get through and drawn out. Not a page turner that i thought it would be.
Published 15 months ago by nay023
5.0 out of 5 stars Trisha's Book Blog Review
This book started off good right from the beginning. Teddy Mentor gets a phone call that his son has run away from the wilderness program which deals with substance abuse problems. Read more
Published on January 10, 2010 by Trisha's Book Blog "Trisha"
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