Sinatraland

From a New York Timesbestselling author, a ';smart, funny' novel about a New Jersey man obsessed with the legendary singer (The Washington Post). ';Kashner's hilarious debut novel reviews the life of a down-on-his-luck Hoboken, N.J., window-shade salesman through a series of heart-wrenching letters he writes to his idol, Frank Sinatra. Like the Chairman of the Board, ';Finkie' Finklestein grows up in a poor ethnic Hoboken neighborhood and prospers during the postwar American boom. He buys a house in Fort Lee once owned by Buddy Hackett and names his daughter Nancy Ava, after Frank's first two wives. Finkie mimics the swinging sophistication of the Rat Pack, who, he vainly hopes, will one day draft him into active service... With rapid-fire wit, Kashner demonstrates his detailed knowledge of pop culture as Finkie follows Sinatra's movies and marriages, his story climaxing at the 1971 farewell concert... Kashner manages to dissect a fan's obsession with poignant comedy, and he captures a New Jersey accent with a sure ear... a sparkling literary talent.' Publishers Weekly Named a Best Book of the Year by both the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post, Sinatraland is an ';uncommonly original and engaging' character study as well as a thought-provoking look at celebrity culture (The Washington Post). ';Smart, humorous, original... deftly explores the peculiarly tragic aspects of an obsession with a celebrity.' Helen Schulman, New York Timesbestselling author of This Beautiful Life ';Quirky... intelligent... very funny.' The Boston Globe