Ira Silver Lining

by Shane Finkelstein

Ira Silver is a creature of routine. He swipes his morning coffee from nearby hotel lobbies, survives on bartering rather than spending cash, crashes funerals and conventions for free food, and lives on St. Charles Avenue alone in the home of his dying mother. But Ira’s life begins to change when a mysterious stripper named Charlie follows him home and never leaves.

As the final parades of Mardi Gras fade down the streets of the Crescent City, they leave chaos strewn about the historic Garden District. But an even wilder ride is about to descend upon Ira’s otherwise monotonous existence. A Spring Break visit from his three young sons by his failed marriage triggers a hilariously hectic procession of disorder and discomfort in Ira’s life, culminating in criminal charges and a beat-down from a pissed-off pimp.

When Charlie turns up missing, Ira enlists the help of two unlikely allies—his oldest son Howie and his lesbian divorce lawyer Shelly—in an absurd pursuit of justice. With Ira stumbling from one dubious mishap to the next, they’re running out of time to find the one person that can clear Ira’s name.

315 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2020

About the author

Shane Finkelstein grew up in Valley Stream, Long Island and majored in English at the University of Maryland. After college, he moved to Atlanta and published a magazine called University Reporter, which subsequently became INsite Magazine. After nine years in Atlanta, he met his soon to be wife Courtney and they traveled around the world in Y2K. Returning to the states, Shane and Courtney moved to New Orleans and opened a burrito joint in the CBD called Nacho Mama’s. In 2003 and 2007, the Finkelsteins opened two more locations, on Magazine Street and in the Elmwood Shopping Center. During his time in New Orleans, Shane has continued his passion for writing, with feature stories in INsite Magazine, Where Yat Magazine and the New Orleans Levee. Finding Gordon Lipschitz is his first full-length novel. He currently resides in Uptown New Orleans, has three children and is working on a new book titled The Miser.

Reviews

[Allison P. Burbank · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t read fiction. I google everything and learn something pretty much everyday. As a kid, when life was slower and simplier, I read series of books such as Nancy Drew and classics such as Lewis Carroll. As an adult, I fell in love with the story of Scherazade. But I don’t live a life that lends itself to wasting hours or days reading fiction. In fact, It’s been years since I became so engrossed in a fictional tale that I couldn’t wait to get away from everything and everyone to fall back into the fantasy land of a good fictional book. I bought Ira Silver Lining on June 1 and tried to read it slowly so as to savor an escape while living the life of a shut in during the pandemic. No such luck. I found myself thinking of Ira and other characters as I went about my day. I found myself thinking about what I had to do until I could steal a few lines here and there. I found myself hungrily swallowing the words, page after page, in the middle of the night. It was a fun read about an eccentric spendthrift who took us on adventures few New Orleanians experience in a lifetime in the Crescent City. Anyone who knows New Orleans will love this tale replete with unpredictable twists and turns. In fact, much to my surprise, I grew concerned as I neared the end. I grew sad upon completion. I am grateful that Finklestein restored unto me the joy of reading for sheer pleasure. I only hope that he doesn’t make us wait a decade for the next installment. There had better be a next installment. I miss Ira!

[Unbridled Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This hidden gem was very enjoyable! It follows the life of Ira Silver, a middle aged man living a rather unassuming life in uptown New Orleans. The story captures Ira’s day to day life until a girl named Charlie arrives at his door and calamity ensues. The author really drew me into Ira’s life and I was shocked at a few plot twists which helped explained a lot about Ira’s life. The description of New Orleans - the streets, the shops, the tourists, the food (I’m a sucker for anything to do with food, it gives me a real feel for a city!) and even the smells - were described beautifully. A call this a hidden gem because it was recommended by a friend’s husband who rarely reads and I didn’t find a lot of reviews online, so I was taking a chance when I bought it. Glad I did and I’m looking forward to reading more of this authors work.