Cascade Falls: A Novel

by Bruce Ferber

Cascade Falls explores the failed promise of the American Dream. Raised to believe that with hard work, anything is possible, a staggering number of Americans hate their jobs and see little chance of ever escaping the grind. In his tragicomic followup to the laugh-ridden Elevating Overman, Bruce Ferber asks the "How does giving up our dreams affect our relationships and our psyches?"Danny Johnson, a writer whose career never materialized, moves with his wife and children to Cascade Falls, a water-filled, golf community in the bone-dry desert outside of Phoenix. Grudgingly going to work for his father Ted, the Elmer Gantry of home development, Danny's quest for stability ultimately comes up short. His marriage begins to fray and the housing market goes bust, forcing him and those around him to examine their lives anew. Cascade Falls exposes the desperate price paid for sacrificing who we are for how and where we live.

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 16, 2015

About the author

Bruce Ferber is an Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated comedy writer and producer whose credits include Bosom Buddies, Growing Pains, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Coach, and Home Improvement, where he served as Executive Producer and showrunner. In addition to being recognized by the Television Academy, his work has received the People’s Choice, Kid’s Choice and Environmental Media Awards. Ferber lives in Southern California, with his wife, children, large dog, and assorted musical instruments.

Elevating Overman is his first novel.

Reviews

[Bob Andelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the introduction to my video interview with Bruce on Mr. Media:

I’m going to risk offending my guest right at the top because I can’t help but think of his latest work, Cascade Falls, as a “small” novel.

In my mind, describing his book thusly is a compliment; I just don’t know if he’ll see it this way.

The thing is, Cascade Falls tells a story about a very narrow strip of life and it works in ways that more ambitious and – ultimately – rambling, generations-spanning novels never do.

Every character in this book, no matter how big a part he or she plays in moving the story forward, is clearly defined, whether it is kingpin Ted Johnson, his lost little boy son, Danny, or Ted’s secretary, Barbara. Everyone is here for a reason and the reason is never to make the reader ache for a shorter book.

This is a small book because its tale is told in an economical, but elucidating way. Best example of that for me? The few sex scenes are compact but the action is eye-popping in the telling.

None of this surprised me because writer Bruce Ferber comes to fiction from the world of TV sitcom writing, where dialogue is everything and narrative is frowned upon. Ferber’s credits include “Bosom Buddies” (starring Tom Hanks), “Growing Pains,” “Sabrina, The Teenage Witch,” “Coach” (Craig T. Nelson), and three years as showrunner for Tim Allen ("Tim the Toolman") on “Home Improvement.”

His first book, which I’m now going to have to get, is called Elevating Overman.

Watch the interview: http://mrmedia.com/2015/06/writer-maps-path-from-tim-the-toolman-to-cascade-falls-video-interview/#.VZMVpWA8rYu

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce Ferber's gentle narrative style slyly masks a much more serious question, one the disillusioned suburbanites at the core of Cascade Falls might as well be asking on the part of us all: namely, what does the American Dream mean these days, and to whom does its storied set of tenets apply? Ferber reminds us that no matter how well off you think you are, there's always room to fall, and yet no matter how far you've fallen, there's also room in your remaining space and years to find your best self.

Simply put, you will love this book. I've already bought it for three of my friends, and they can't put it down.

[Michaela Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cascade Falls is one hell of a book! Ferber paints the familiar trappings of suburbia with a dry wit that will make you laugh out loud. However, Cascade Falls is much more than a mere parody of life in an Arizona subdivision. The master-planned community proves the furnace in which the characters are brought face to face with their demons, and must rise like the Phoenix for a second chance at life.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is s very strong, powerful story. On the surface, for most of the book, it is light and amusing with strong characters, and beautifully written. But there is deep sadness as well. A son struggles to find his own identity and career, separate from his successful, famous father, an icon of the American Dream (a housing development mogul) while living separately from his wife and young children. This son's wife finds inspiration to paint, and succeed in her art, through painting the misery she feels living at Cascade Falls. The fellow who repairs the crumbling homes in this development, is a widower raising a young daughter: he attempts to repair his own life and find love once again. After the housing market crash, the evangelistic Cascade Falls mogul can no longer sell his shoddy homes as the American Dream: his marriage fails, his children are estranged, and he loses hope and the will to live, just before the housing market rebounds.

[Richard Burrage · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit thin in terms of plot and characterization. Not too bad, but I kept expecting things to get funnier and more interesting. Then the story ended.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what i thought it would be. Read a much bette book before this one so it didn't have much of a chance with me. A guy's story, maybe.