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Somewhere East of Me: A Novel
Somewhere East of Me
Denver writer Jake Dustin is untethered from indolence when his estranged sister announces South Carolina is exhuming their mother. With no choice but to go, Jake embarks on a cross-country odyssey of uproarious absurdity and self-exploration during the strange days of September 2021. Jake feeds the internet’s insatiable lust for content as the miles rumble by while pondering where he lost his inner child and why he lives in his ex-wife’s basement. Along the way, a rousing cast of characters like St. Louis Hobo, Tough-luck Chuck, and PTSD-ridden Spooky Cody offer a visceral distillation of life’s eclectic reality.
More than a metaphor, Somewhere East of Me untangles America’s course through the 21st Century in a poignant snapshot of where we are and how we got here. If you are ready for a rollicking adventure filled with unexpected twists, laugh-out-loud hilarity, and the infinite wisdom of mutants in the middle of nowhere - buckle up. Join Jake for an absorbing romp as he considers the common truths and complicated circumstances of the human condition in a cathartic jaunt you can’t put down.
Merging historical fact and hysterical fiction Somewhere East of Me is postmodern literature written for a text message attention span. U’ll dig it.
Somewhere East of Me
After my mother died, a mishap with her remains sent me on an expedition of many unexpected discoveries. Out of cold comfort, my travels were southeast across the desperate mid-western heart of America. A salty start to a September morning in Denver was the beginning of the end for my mother and me. I could still see her dangling by a steel chain strung from a backhoe, rumbling along an asphalt road bisecting several cemeteries in Charleston. The memory prompted me to recall what Riggles said about it all. There was no normal among us. My cell phone buzzed in the adjoining room. It wasn’t yet 5 a.m. in Denver. The day was breaking somewhere east of me.
“A great story and fun read, Somewhere East of Me follows one man’s quest for meaning in modern America. I loved the characters, pace, and message; it’s hard to put down.”
- Ryan Rambo, Director of Counterintelligence
Denver writer Jake Dustin is untethered from indolence when his estranged sister announces South Carolina is exhuming their mother. With no choice but to go, Jake embarks on a cross-country odyssey of uproarious absurdity and self-exploration during the strange days of September 2021. Jake feeds the internet’s insatiable lust for content as the miles rumble by while pondering where he lost his inner child and why he lives in his ex-wife’s basement. Along the way, a rousing cast of characters like St. Louis Hobo, Tough-luck Chuck, and PTSD-ridden Spooky Cody offer a visceral distillation of life’s eclectic reality.
More than a metaphor, Somewhere East of Me untangles America’s course through the 21st Century in a poignant snapshot of where we are and how we got here. If you are ready for a rollicking adventure filled with unexpected twists, laugh-out-loud hilarity, and the infinite wisdom of mutants in the middle of nowhere - buckle up. Join Jake for an absorbing romp as he considers the common truths and complicated circumstances of the human condition in a cathartic jaunt you can’t put down.
Merging historical fact and hysterical fiction Somewhere East of Me is postmodern literature written for a text message attention span. U’ll dig it.
Somewhere East of Me
After my mother died, a mishap with her remains sent me on an expedition of many unexpected discoveries. Out of cold comfort, my travels were southeast across the desperate mid-western heart of America. A salty start to a September morning in Denver was the beginning of the end for my mother and me. I could still see her dangling by a steel chain strung from a backhoe, rumbling along an asphalt road bisecting several cemeteries in Charleston. The memory prompted me to recall what Riggles said about it all. There was no normal among us. My cell phone buzzed in the adjoining room. It wasn’t yet 5 a.m. in Denver. The day was breaking somewhere east of me.
“A great story and fun read, Somewhere East of Me follows one man’s quest for meaning in modern America. I loved the characters, pace, and message; it’s hard to put down.”
- Ryan Rambo, Director of Counterintelligence
- GenresFiction
229 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2024
7 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Sean Vincent O'Keefe
2 books9 followersIf you are here, please check out my debut novel, Somewhere East of Me, available on Amazon.
Labeled twice exceptional in third grade, Sean Vincent O’Keefe is a life-long writer, unpaid poet, and a treasure seeker of truth. Somewhere East of Me was written in the fall of 2021 and refined for years before release in April 2024.
Meanwhile, today Sean is a professional writer who thinks about architecture, engineering, and construction in the morning and whatever he wants in the afternoon. Sean is married to his best friend with a healthy, whole, nutty family of their own in Denver, CO. He walks dogs and takes pictures when he’s not making stuff up.
Labeled twice exceptional in third grade, Sean Vincent O’Keefe is a life-long writer, unpaid poet, and a treasure seeker of truth. Somewhere East of Me was written in the fall of 2021 and refined for years before release in April 2024.
Meanwhile, today Sean is a professional writer who thinks about architecture, engineering, and construction in the morning and whatever he wants in the afternoon. Sean is married to his best friend with a healthy, whole, nutty family of their own in Denver, CO. He walks dogs and takes pictures when he’s not making stuff up.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 15, 2024
This was no ordinary road-trip
We need to exhume our mother is a phone call I would never want to receive from my sister. Pack your quick wit for a road trip with Jake to the east coast. Jake has a lot going on in his life, as we all do, and the last thing he wanted to do was drive 1,700 miles to exhume his mother. Along the way he meets a guy who takes care of critters nobody wanted, a zombie, Spooky Cody, and a few other characters. All the while multi-tasking with his content writing, selling stuff on Craig’s list, and unknowingly finding his inner child. Easy, relaxing, fun read.
We need to exhume our mother is a phone call I would never want to receive from my sister. Pack your quick wit for a road trip with Jake to the east coast. Jake has a lot going on in his life, as we all do, and the last thing he wanted to do was drive 1,700 miles to exhume his mother. Along the way he meets a guy who takes care of critters nobody wanted, a zombie, Spooky Cody, and a few other characters. All the while multi-tasking with his content writing, selling stuff on Craig’s list, and unknowingly finding his inner child. Easy, relaxing, fun read.
May 8, 2024
You feel as if you are riding shotgun in his journey.
This is an absolutely wonderful read. As an author my petpeeve is any plot holes. Which this is totally free from. The story runs smooth and the characters are perfectly described. Flashbacks are done with exact timing and really build suspense, and in the end answer some heart breaking questions. No matter what your genre is, this will be enjoyable for you.
This is an absolutely wonderful read. As an author my petpeeve is any plot holes. Which this is totally free from. The story runs smooth and the characters are perfectly described. Flashbacks are done with exact timing and really build suspense, and in the end answer some heart breaking questions. No matter what your genre is, this will be enjoyable for you.
August 19, 2024
Terrific
This was the first novel I've read in a long time, and I'm so glad I chose it. Very American, very youthful, very real. High quality narration and witty dialogue. Five stars!!!!!!!
This was the first novel I've read in a long time, and I'm so glad I chose it. Very American, very youthful, very real. High quality narration and witty dialogue. Five stars!!!!!!!
December 21, 2024
Somewhere East of Me: A Novel by: Sean Vincent O'Keefe
5.0 out of 5 stars
What an enjoyable journey! I highly recommend!! It's actually written from a male perspective which was a bit different for me, but I really enjoyed it.
Jake's interaction with the characters he meets along his journey felt like real people I've never met, but yet I knew them! I felt like I've worked with them, I've lived with them and hung out with people just like them! They touched his "inner child" and helped me think about the people we all meet throughout our own lives.
This style of writing was new to me, but with each new chapter it pulled me in and kept me wanting to read on. I appreciated all the history lessons, the life lessons and even the comedy. I felt confused, happy, sad, angry, and excited. As Jake traveled east I started to wonder where this journey was going to end. I found myself feeling sad that the end was nearing but there was so much more to read and learn, but not enough pages for that to happen. It kept me invested and wanting to keep reading. While I thought Jake's story ended too early, leaving me questions about what happens to Jake, Emily, or Angel, I truly really loved this book!
I enjoyed the ending, took me from feeling shocked, to sad, but then even laughed at what happens in Charleston. It's like you have to blink a couple of times to make sure you just read what was written. I do hope down the road I get a chance to read more of Jake's life, as I feel like there is more to be told!
Read it, you won't regret it.
5.0 out of 5 stars
What an enjoyable journey! I highly recommend!! It's actually written from a male perspective which was a bit different for me, but I really enjoyed it.
Jake's interaction with the characters he meets along his journey felt like real people I've never met, but yet I knew them! I felt like I've worked with them, I've lived with them and hung out with people just like them! They touched his "inner child" and helped me think about the people we all meet throughout our own lives.
This style of writing was new to me, but with each new chapter it pulled me in and kept me wanting to read on. I appreciated all the history lessons, the life lessons and even the comedy. I felt confused, happy, sad, angry, and excited. As Jake traveled east I started to wonder where this journey was going to end. I found myself feeling sad that the end was nearing but there was so much more to read and learn, but not enough pages for that to happen. It kept me invested and wanting to keep reading. While I thought Jake's story ended too early, leaving me questions about what happens to Jake, Emily, or Angel, I truly really loved this book!
I enjoyed the ending, took me from feeling shocked, to sad, but then even laughed at what happens in Charleston. It's like you have to blink a couple of times to make sure you just read what was written. I do hope down the road I get a chance to read more of Jake's life, as I feel like there is more to be told!
Read it, you won't regret it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews