The Dropouts

by Gary Sprague

In the summer of 1985, the Dropouts, a rock band made up of four teenagers from the small town of Apple Brook, Maine, have a Top 20 single and seem destined for superstardom. Guitarist Jesse Maze has everything he wants in life, until he lets ego and greed get the better of him and decides to leave the band and hit the road for a solo career. Three decades later, Jesse is playing in cover bands and jumping from one dead-end relationship to the next. Then, out of nowhere, old Dropouts songs are being played on TV and movie soundtracks and racing back up the charts. Suddenly rich and famous, Jesse still feels empty inside, filled with regret for everything he left behind years before. When he receives an unexpected invitation to his granddaughter’s birthday party, Jesse returns to Apple Brook with a chance to face his past and start mending fences. Filled with memorable characters, The Dropouts is a smart, funny, and touching account of a man who, with the help of family and old friends, finally begins to learn something about love, growth, and forgiveness.

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 14, 2019