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Parallel Lives
The story, which begins in an assisted-living facility in New Hampshire, leads to 18th century Boston and London, where there's unfinished business that residents, through mirror selves, must take care of.
182 pages, Paperback
Published March 2, 2020
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Richard Seltzer
27 books132 followersAuthor of two dozen books, I've been editor, novelist, Russian translator, parttime spy, Internet evangelist, and ebook entrepreneur. I've published children's fantasies, historical novels, and pioneering books about how to do business on the Internet. As a spokesperson for Digital Equipment, a tech leader in the early Internet, I saw how consumer choices and business models molded the outcomes we live with today. My latest book, "In Flux," puts AI into context and suggest how we can nudge the future toward either serving us or oppressing us.
I graduated from Yale, with a major in English and went to grad school there in Comparative Literature. At Yale I had creative writing courses with Robert Penn Warren and Joseph Heller.
In my 70s I've finally been able to write what I want when I want, and I've been publishing 2-3 books a year. Most don't fit in established genres and hence agents and editors aren't interested. So I've gone with small and hybrid publishers which makes it difficult to get the attention of traditional reviewers. Now I'm finally getting some recognition, with reviews of three of my books appearing in the same issue of Publishers Weekly (June 9). Another book of mine (One Family) was reviewed in their July 21 issue. And yet another will be reviewed in their Sept. 8 issue. One Family also won the Connecticut Press Club's annual award for best non-fiction book.
My personal web site is seltzerbooks.com My Twitter account is @seltzerbooks
A list of every book I have read since 1958 (over 3500 books) appears at seltzerbooks.com/readall.html
I graduated from Yale, with a major in English and went to grad school there in Comparative Literature. At Yale I had creative writing courses with Robert Penn Warren and Joseph Heller.
In my 70s I've finally been able to write what I want when I want, and I've been publishing 2-3 books a year. Most don't fit in established genres and hence agents and editors aren't interested. So I've gone with small and hybrid publishers which makes it difficult to get the attention of traditional reviewers. Now I'm finally getting some recognition, with reviews of three of my books appearing in the same issue of Publishers Weekly (June 9). Another book of mine (One Family) was reviewed in their July 21 issue. And yet another will be reviewed in their Sept. 8 issue. One Family also won the Connecticut Press Club's annual award for best non-fiction book.
My personal web site is seltzerbooks.com My Twitter account is @seltzerbooks
A list of every book I have read since 1958 (over 3500 books) appears at seltzerbooks.com/readall.html
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 5, 2020
I wrote it, so of course I think it's great :-)
From romance in a New Hampshire nursing home to scenes in London and Boston that determine the outcome of the American Revolution, this tale moves quickly and smoothly from realistic present to time-travel fantasy, with historical insights. The turns of phrase, the motley assemblage of characters and the fast-paced action carried me along, made the impossible seem plausible, even probable. Most memorable? A life-drawing class for seventy-year-olds, an alternate history where Mercy Otis Warren was elected the first woman president in 1808, and the delicate balance between fate and free will, where changing why someone does what he does, but not changing the facts, gives new meaning to a patriot's life. Enjoy the read. Then read it again.
Feedback/discussion welcome
seltzer@seltzerbooks.com
More of my work is available at my web site seltzerbooks.com
From romance in a New Hampshire nursing home to scenes in London and Boston that determine the outcome of the American Revolution, this tale moves quickly and smoothly from realistic present to time-travel fantasy, with historical insights. The turns of phrase, the motley assemblage of characters and the fast-paced action carried me along, made the impossible seem plausible, even probable. Most memorable? A life-drawing class for seventy-year-olds, an alternate history where Mercy Otis Warren was elected the first woman president in 1808, and the delicate balance between fate and free will, where changing why someone does what he does, but not changing the facts, gives new meaning to a patriot's life. Enjoy the read. Then read it again.
Feedback/discussion welcome
seltzer@seltzerbooks.com
More of my work is available at my web site seltzerbooks.com
March 30, 2020
It's hard to categorize this book, since it blends historical fiction with fantasy and a fair number of puns. The author expands on some little-known aspects of late 18th century American history and links them to a number of eccentric time-traveling characters living in the present day. At some points, the nimble prose had me wishing I'd paid more attention in class, but the overall breakneck pace of the plot keeps the reader turning pages.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews