Covid Seasons

by Rick Goeld

Covid Seasons is the story of three couples and how they cope, or don't cope, with the year from hell.

The year 2020: the pandemic, masks and sequestration, death counts, mis-information, George Floyd’s murder, Black Lives Matter, a nasty political campaign, and a president who might not leave.

Some Survive, Some Don't.

Julie, a model quality blonde, is a police lieutenant. She's got a take charge personality, a drinking problem, and she's sexually aggressive. Her mixed-race husband, Mark, is a lawyer on hiatus, a staunch Democrat, and, in affairs of the heart, pretty much clueless.

Sherri is an evangelical Christian who unequivocally supports Trump. Her husband, John, is a libertarian who holds grudges and plans to seek revenge against those who have wronged him.

Emjay (Maria Juanita) is an attractive Latina who is disillusioned with her childless marriage and has chosen to tolerate her husband’s infidelity. Scott, her husband, is a silver-tongued businessman who has his roving eye on Julie.

The story begins January 30th: they discuss Trump’s impeachment, Kobe Bryant’s tragic death, and this new virus, which has claimed its first victim in Arizona.

The story ends January 6, 2021: Covid has killed members, family, and friends. The survivors sit together, talking about the future. A few feet away, a group of Trump supporters, watching on TV, cheer as a mob storms the Capitol.

Readers of Covid Seasons will be reminded of their own feelings and experiences dealing with the pandemic, the politics, and the racial tensions that were hallmarks of the year that never seemed to end.

280 pages, Paperback

Published August 17, 2021

About the author

First, the dull part: I was born in New York City, and grew up in Miami, Florida. I loved the South Florida lifestyle—fishing, boating, and swimming—so, to teach me a lesson, my parents exiled me to a boarding school in Western Massachusetts. After graduating from progressive and left-wing-leaning Windsor Mountain School, I earned engineering degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Northeastern University, and then went into the field of high-tech electronics. I was a nerd, with slide rule, pocket protector, and coke-bottle glasses.

I gradually outgrew my nerdiness. Encouraged by my wife, I learned some social skills. Against all odds, I slithered up the corporate ladder and, employing smoke and mirrors whenever possible, I became a vice president at two different companies.

A few years ago, the corporate flunkies got tired of my act and put me on the street. I asked myself: Self, what should I do next? Since my main interests were sex, sports, reading fiction, sex, old-time rock-and-roll, classic movies, and sex, I decided to become a writer. I started out writing short stories, but you've got to be "literary" to get short stories published, and anyway, there's no money in them, so … I decided to write novels.

My first novel was "Searching for Steely Dan," in which I parlayed my own near-obsession with Steely Dan and my son's misadventures in New York into a sensitive, touching, and compelling coming-of-age story. Eddie Zittner, my protagonist, is a 29-year-old Jersey boy with no job, no ambition, and a failing marriage. After his wife dumps him, he takes to the sidewalks of Manhattan, searching for answers, searching for inspiration, searching for ... well, read the book.

My second novel, "Sex, Lies, and Soybeans," is a sexy techno-romp—whatever that means—with a timely message about the evils of genetically engineered food. This story takes place in a near future where soy has become the world's primary source of protein, and the Soy Industry has become the world's most powerful food consortium. This book is loaded with things I'm interested in: sex, politics, old-time rock-and-roll, sex, a beautiful bisexual woman, off-the-wall characters, sex, references to classic movies, screeching plot twists, and did I mention sex?

Since my novels had only limited success, I decided to try non-fiction. My third book, "People of Windsor Mountain," combines a history of the boarding school I attended with the personal stories of a couple of dozen alumni and former faculty. It began as an investigation: trying to find out what happened to the other 46 members of my 1963 graduating class. I found that too limiting, so I broadened my scope, eventually interviewing more than 100 people. It became a labor of love.

My fourth book and third novel, “Covid Seasons,” is a contemporary novel dealing with 2020, the year from hell. It’s the story of three suburban Arizona couples and how they cope, or don’t cope, with the pandemic, masks and sequestration, death counts, mis-information, George Floyd’s murder, police brutality, a nasty political campaign, and, finally, a president who might not leave. The characters include a democrat, an evangelical republican, a libertarian, and a female police lieutenant, so there’s lots of political debate, not to mention guns and a steamy affair. The bottom line: some characters survive, some don’t.

My wife and I live in Scottsdale, Arizona. Our three grown children have been replaced by two dogs who behave better than the kids ever did.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since 2014, two Arizona couples have met every Thursday morning to talk about the world and life in general. They have expanded the group to six, all neighbors in a small gated community in Scottsdale. They discuss and argue points and opinions while enjoying coffee at a local eatery. But this is late January 2020, and Covid is about to raise its ugly head, changing the world and the neighbor’s lives forever.

The group includes Mark, a lawyer who has lost his job, and his wife Julie, who is a cop. Scott and Emjay are realtors that own their own business and John is retired and mostly spends his days irritating his wife Sherri with his nasty smelling cigars. Each of them has opinions about what is happening in the world and they are not opposed to arguing with the others in the group. That being said, they look forward to the weekly get-togethers, especially with the lockdown.

Covid Seasons addresses politics and Covid, but more importantly, it brings to light the struggles and strengths of some relationships during what we hope to be the worst part of the virus. As time trudges on, emotions run high and relationships become strained. The fabric of society as well as families has changed like never before in modern times, bringing out the best and worst of individuals. Some can adapt, others cannot.

This fast-paced novel is interesting, funny and, at times, painfully honest. The characters are fiction, but the virus, the Presidential election and division of our nation was all too real. Clothed in the opinions of the characters, the issues seemed much less jarring than watching on the nightly news. Secrets that may or may not have been a byproduct of the lockdown are exposed. Some rifts can and will be mended, others will not.

This is the first book I have read by Rick Goeld. He is the author of Searching for Steely Dan and Sex, Lies, and Soybeans as well as People of Windsor Mountain, a work of non-fiction. If you are a fan of Tim Dorsey’s writing, you will enjoy Covid Seasons. This book contains explicit behavior as well as adult language,

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Copyright © 2021 Laura Hartman

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A refreshing look at how the pandemic influenced our relationships, emotions and daily outlook. I enjoyed the relatable characters, authentic dialogue and satisfying conclusion. The infusion of significant world events and politics gives it a realistic feel allowing Covid Seasons to become a unique recollection of our Covid Year.