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Mr. Wizard
Two days before her death, Jenny Elliot suggests to her fifty-year-old son Phillip that, being half Irish, he should be more careful about his drinking. Phillip, along with his brother Spencer, has grown up believing they were the fully Jewish-American offspring of Jenny and her late husband who died in the Vietnam War. Was his mother uttering some dementia-inspired fantasy, or was her true character shining through in her last moments to leave the brothers a clue to their real heritage? After her death, Phillip decides to take a DNA test.
The brothers set off on a genetic treasure hunt in search of who they really are—and what that might mean. Are they purely products of their genetics; or were they formed more completely by their social interactions and upbringing? Are they merely victims of randomness; or are they some combination of those factors? And who, exactly, is Mr. Wizard?
The brothers set off on a genetic treasure hunt in search of who they really are—and what that might mean. Are they purely products of their genetics; or were they formed more completely by their social interactions and upbringing? Are they merely victims of randomness; or are they some combination of those factors? And who, exactly, is Mr. Wizard?
- GenresFiction
209 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2020
52 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Wallach
9 books8 followersJeff Wallach is the award-winning author of four books of non-fiction as well as nearly 1,000 articles, essays, columns, and reviews in such publications as The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Oregonian, Men’s Journal, Men’s Health, Sports Illustrated, GOLF Magazine, Golf Digest, Popular Science, Outside, and many, many others.
Jeff holds a Masters Degree in Fiction Writing from Brown University (1984) and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Vassar College (1982). He has taught both fiction and magazine writing classes in high school, college, and adult education programs and at writers conferences.
Jeff's first novel, Mr. Wizard, will be published by Open Books in April 2020. He lives, works, hikes, and plays golf and soccer in Portland, Oregon.
Jeff holds a Masters Degree in Fiction Writing from Brown University (1984) and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Vassar College (1982). He has taught both fiction and magazine writing classes in high school, college, and adult education programs and at writers conferences.
Jeff's first novel, Mr. Wizard, will be published by Open Books in April 2020. He lives, works, hikes, and plays golf and soccer in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 10, 2020
Misdirection
Jeff Wallach’s debut novel, Mr Wizard, is a light-hearted and highly entertaining mystery of family secrets, and the adventure of discovering new family connections. The last words Jenny Elliot mentioned to her son Phillip, before passing away, was a reference to being Irish and an Irish golf pro in Ballydraiocht, Ireland. That cryptic message made no sense because Phillip was Jewish, from New York, and his father, Jack, was an American war hero who went missing in action during the Vietnam War.
Jenny was a mother who encouraged her two sons Phillip and Spencer into puzzles and tricks, and now she has left them with a bewildering puzzle that will transform their lives. Curious and unsettled Phillip took a DNA ancestry test and revealed he was forty-six per cent Ashkenazi Jew and forty per cent Irish/British. Convincing Spencer to also take the test his resulted in his stating the same forty-six per cent Ashkenazi Jew but forty per cent originating in Spain.
The adventure to Ireland was very well depicted where Jeff brought out many of the cultural characteristics of Ireland and its humour without playing on the crass stereotypical “top of the mornin’ to ya’. He showed Ireland as a progressive country with modern views on relationships and religion, all which played out in the story. The new family members, the two brothers met in Ireland, provided a wonderful range of personalities, and the sage advice from Patrick – the golf pro and Phillip’s confirmed father – was warming, mature and thoughtful. It was suggested that his lessons found deeper resonance with the person than instructions on the golf swing.
The plot is very entertaining and its mysteries are fascinating. There is an observational quality to the reactions of Phillip and Spencer when introduced to the new family. They are family to Phillip but not Spencer, and how the story and relationships develop, is neither obvious nor complex. The dialogue is laced with wonderful subtle humour and the conversations between many of the characters is a delight with sarcastic interplay and witty perceptions.
This is a lovely upbeat story that hugely entertains and I would recommend it. I would rate it 4.5 stars and I’d like to thank Jeff Wallach for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest review.
Jeff Wallach’s debut novel, Mr Wizard, is a light-hearted and highly entertaining mystery of family secrets, and the adventure of discovering new family connections. The last words Jenny Elliot mentioned to her son Phillip, before passing away, was a reference to being Irish and an Irish golf pro in Ballydraiocht, Ireland. That cryptic message made no sense because Phillip was Jewish, from New York, and his father, Jack, was an American war hero who went missing in action during the Vietnam War.
Jenny was a mother who encouraged her two sons Phillip and Spencer into puzzles and tricks, and now she has left them with a bewildering puzzle that will transform their lives. Curious and unsettled Phillip took a DNA ancestry test and revealed he was forty-six per cent Ashkenazi Jew and forty per cent Irish/British. Convincing Spencer to also take the test his resulted in his stating the same forty-six per cent Ashkenazi Jew but forty per cent originating in Spain.
“ ‘I’m considering entertaining the idea that we had two different fathers,’ Spencer said. ‘Neither of whom was the father we both thought we had. Which also makes me sad. Yours was an Irish golf pro. Mine was most likely a Spanish prince.’ ”Their investigation reveals secrets that their mother had kept hidden all their lives and as they begin the search to find their biological fathers, they realise their mother was a greater mystery.
“ ‘Aunt Phyllis was right: It’s not all about our fathers at all. We have no idea who our mother was.’ ”
The adventure to Ireland was very well depicted where Jeff brought out many of the cultural characteristics of Ireland and its humour without playing on the crass stereotypical “top of the mornin’ to ya’. He showed Ireland as a progressive country with modern views on relationships and religion, all which played out in the story. The new family members, the two brothers met in Ireland, provided a wonderful range of personalities, and the sage advice from Patrick – the golf pro and Phillip’s confirmed father – was warming, mature and thoughtful. It was suggested that his lessons found deeper resonance with the person than instructions on the golf swing.
The plot is very entertaining and its mysteries are fascinating. There is an observational quality to the reactions of Phillip and Spencer when introduced to the new family. They are family to Phillip but not Spencer, and how the story and relationships develop, is neither obvious nor complex. The dialogue is laced with wonderful subtle humour and the conversations between many of the characters is a delight with sarcastic interplay and witty perceptions.
This is a lovely upbeat story that hugely entertains and I would recommend it. I would rate it 4.5 stars and I’d like to thank Jeff Wallach for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest review.
May 16, 2020
Summary: Two brothers, now both financially successful adults, grew up thinking that their father died in Vietnam. But Mom was always cagey on the subject of their paternity. After her death, the two brothers take DNA tests. Phillip learns that his father was Irish; Spencer’s father was southern European.
The two brothers, who were raised thinking they were fully Jewish, react very differently to this unexpected news. Phillip goes into a tailspin, determined to find his Catholic birth father in Ireland. Spencer’s response, as is his answer to just about everything in life, is to throw his rapid-fire humor at the situation.
As the brothers explore themselves, their relationship to each other and their extended and various kin, they realize that family isn’t just who you’re related to.
Comments: I loved and appreciated Mr. Wizard on so many levels, I hardly know where to begin. The writing is deeply insightful, intelligent and witty. I laughed out loud in several places. I’m not typically a “laugh out loud while reading” kind of person, but I’m a sucker for smartly written humor.
While there is not a drop of Irish in me that I know of (although Dad tried to convince me that we had a Polish/Irish ancestor named O’Helska), I was raised Catholic. Very Catholic — at least on Mom’s side. Dad’s side was a bit more dubious. My sister took one of those DNA tests and confirmed what Dad had been dropping hints about for years — that we were part Ashkenazi Jewish. One Christmas, Dad slipped dreidels into my kids’ Christmas stockings. Mom had an absolute fit, screaming that she never wanted a mixed marriage. So yeah, I could totally relate to this book!
So far, I have two books firmly only top ten list for 2020 and Mr. Wizard sits jauntily perched at the top of that list.
Very highly recommended for readers who like stories about family, General Fiction, Literary Fiction and Humorous Fiction.
The two brothers, who were raised thinking they were fully Jewish, react very differently to this unexpected news. Phillip goes into a tailspin, determined to find his Catholic birth father in Ireland. Spencer’s response, as is his answer to just about everything in life, is to throw his rapid-fire humor at the situation.
As the brothers explore themselves, their relationship to each other and their extended and various kin, they realize that family isn’t just who you’re related to.
Comments: I loved and appreciated Mr. Wizard on so many levels, I hardly know where to begin. The writing is deeply insightful, intelligent and witty. I laughed out loud in several places. I’m not typically a “laugh out loud while reading” kind of person, but I’m a sucker for smartly written humor.
While there is not a drop of Irish in me that I know of (although Dad tried to convince me that we had a Polish/Irish ancestor named O’Helska), I was raised Catholic. Very Catholic — at least on Mom’s side. Dad’s side was a bit more dubious. My sister took one of those DNA tests and confirmed what Dad had been dropping hints about for years — that we were part Ashkenazi Jewish. One Christmas, Dad slipped dreidels into my kids’ Christmas stockings. Mom had an absolute fit, screaming that she never wanted a mixed marriage. So yeah, I could totally relate to this book!
So far, I have two books firmly only top ten list for 2020 and Mr. Wizard sits jauntily perched at the top of that list.
Very highly recommended for readers who like stories about family, General Fiction, Literary Fiction and Humorous Fiction.
June 17, 2020
A book about two successful 50+-year-old brothers, Mr. Wizard: A Novel leads the reader through the emotional baggage that comes with realizing that your biological father isn’t the father you thought you had. It also supports a belief I now have that the nuclear family we all envision when thinking about family is not universal. Indeed, I now think that it has never been the norm as single mothers and gay marriage adoptions become more accepted and openly discussed.
The search for the older brother’s true father leads then to Ireland where he finds his true biological father and his extended family only to discover that his unfulfilled existence isn’t satisfied by this discovery. It quickly becomes evident to him that his true longing is for his ex-wife, someone he pushed out of his life years ago. Fortunately, he can reconcile the estrangement and start dating her again at the end of the book.
The other brother in this story finds his future wife on the same fact-finding trip to Ireland. Bizarrely, she is his half-brother’s half-sister; no relation as his brother’s biological father is not his father and she had a different mother. Although he had no longing to discover who his biological father was, he does find out who he is by happenstance at the funeral of his late aunt who discloses it in the form of a letter left for him. It too is a bizarre story, although I insist that you read the book to find out who his father is.
I found Mr. Wizard: A Novel to be entertaining and humorous and recommend it as a fun and easy read.
The search for the older brother’s true father leads then to Ireland where he finds his true biological father and his extended family only to discover that his unfulfilled existence isn’t satisfied by this discovery. It quickly becomes evident to him that his true longing is for his ex-wife, someone he pushed out of his life years ago. Fortunately, he can reconcile the estrangement and start dating her again at the end of the book.
The other brother in this story finds his future wife on the same fact-finding trip to Ireland. Bizarrely, she is his half-brother’s half-sister; no relation as his brother’s biological father is not his father and she had a different mother. Although he had no longing to discover who his biological father was, he does find out who he is by happenstance at the funeral of his late aunt who discloses it in the form of a letter left for him. It too is a bizarre story, although I insist that you read the book to find out who his father is.
I found Mr. Wizard: A Novel to be entertaining and humorous and recommend it as a fun and easy read.
August 3, 2020
Fantastic read! I loved the humor and warm heartedness. Jeff’s novel certainly entertains but also enlightens readers about the complications of family, starting with a complicated mother. I appreciate how after her death, the brothers, Phillip and Spencer, seek to understand her in a complete way, weighing her quirky decisions against her always loving intentions. The constant love and loyalty between the brothers keep the reader also caring about both of them. The misdirections and lateral thinking puzzles add to the fun. It’s a page turner as the plot twists and leads to welcome surprises.
September 3, 2022
I went to his school with Jeff and besides enjoying the mention of local hometown favorites the story was a lot of fun. I loved the relationships of each son to their mother, to each other and to the other host of characters. Who couldn't relate to one if not many of the relatives as someone in our own family. Laugh after laugh, Jeff's book was a welcome pleasure in these days with too few laughs.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews