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Moss
Isaiah Moss was one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. His illegitimate son Oscar Kendall wasn't. Living in Isaiah's inescapable shadow, Oscar has become an inveterate quitter who hides his own literary work from the world rather than suffer the pain of failure or rejection.
But when Isaiah suddenly dies, Oscar inherits the old man's lakefront writing cabin in New Hampshire. There he finds his father's typewriter, a full liquor cabinet, and an unpublished manuscript of such genius that it could launch Oscar's career if he claims it as his own.
But as Oscar wrestles with his own twisted inspirations, he meets the women in Isaiah's life and begins to learn the depths of his father's secrets...and the costs that come with unresolved trauma and romantic delusion.
But when Isaiah suddenly dies, Oscar inherits the old man's lakefront writing cabin in New Hampshire. There he finds his father's typewriter, a full liquor cabinet, and an unpublished manuscript of such genius that it could launch Oscar's career if he claims it as his own.
But as Oscar wrestles with his own twisted inspirations, he meets the women in Isaiah's life and begins to learn the depths of his father's secrets...and the costs that come with unresolved trauma and romantic delusion.
- GenresFiction
234 pages, Paperback
Published December 14, 2021
9 people are currently reading
1650 people want to read
About the author
Joe Pace
5 books36 followersJoe Pace is a writer of science fiction, historical fiction, and short stories. He studied political science and history at the University of New Hampshire, and his writing reflects his ongoing academic and practical interest in both.
Joe has also served in elective office, taught American history, and worked in business banking. His eclectic interests range from pro football to comic books to ballroom dancing to making the perfect hand-rolled meatball.
As a storyteller, he seeks to weave classic science fiction with political intrigue full of memorable characters in the tradition of Isaac Asimov, Piers Anthony, George R.R. Martin, and Star Trek.
Joe was born and raised in seacoast New Hampshire and still considers it home, even as he wanders about the country with his wife, Sarah, and their two sons, Bobby and Xavier.
His novel MOSS won the Hawthorne Prize for Fiction and was the recipient of the NH Writer's Project award for Fiction in 2023. He continues to write in the hopes that you'll enjoy his words as much as he does.
Joe has also served in elective office, taught American history, and worked in business banking. His eclectic interests range from pro football to comic books to ballroom dancing to making the perfect hand-rolled meatball.
As a storyteller, he seeks to weave classic science fiction with political intrigue full of memorable characters in the tradition of Isaac Asimov, Piers Anthony, George R.R. Martin, and Star Trek.
Joe was born and raised in seacoast New Hampshire and still considers it home, even as he wanders about the country with his wife, Sarah, and their two sons, Bobby and Xavier.
His novel MOSS won the Hawthorne Prize for Fiction and was the recipient of the NH Writer's Project award for Fiction in 2023. He continues to write in the hopes that you'll enjoy his words as much as he does.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
December 20, 2021
English teacher Oscar Kendall is more Dr. House than Dead Poets Society; acerbic and self-absorbed, he drifts in the shadow of his estranged father Isaiah Moss, a revered and larger-than-life literary titan. When Isaiah dies, Oscar inherits his lakeside cabin and moves in, like an adult child trying on his father’s clothes. His reactions to his father’s typewriter and unpublished manuscript are no surprise, but it’s his new neighbor May, a striking war veteran and amputee, who blows the doors of the novel wide open. Joe Pace mines these tropes for new gold, primarily through Oscar’s dawning realization of how damaged and deserving of empathy other people are. In lesser hands this could be a sentimental story, but Pace shapes this material into a profound, funny, and heart-wrenching journey of loss and discovery. Oscar’s narration is the key: he can zing with a barbed observation and on the next page stop your breath with a soul-baring admission. If you’ve ever taught, or been taught, or had a parent, or felt the faintest stirrings of love in your cold heart, you need to read MOSS.
December 30, 2021
What an amazing read. It drew me in from the first page. The book takes you through love and loss with the complexity life brings. Beautifully written.
January 19, 2022
Nothing says "I'm an artist with massive balls" more than one who frames their work in the context of their art. Without spoilers (it's on the jacket copy), the main character, Oscar, is a literary professor who aspires to be a published writer. The titular character, Oscar's father, is a literary legend. In a way that's reminiscent of Norman Rockwell's "Self Portrait", Pace conveys the expectations and demands they hold themselves to by meticulous example. By working elements of their fictitious meta-prose into Moss and qualifying it with his characters own estimations, he audaciously suggests his work is sufficient frame for theirs... as if it's not all his work. I'm no literary expert, but I see what Pace did there. Moss brilliantly taunts the literary world, extorting them to call his bluff. I'm personally convinced it's not a bluff.
Oscar Kendal as portrayed in Moss reminds me a touch of Adam Sandler's version of Paul Crewe from The Longest Yard. That said, the fuel Moss runs on makes it just right for the sarcastic humor that laces it. Instead of the pressure of government authority, Oscar is pitted against literary authority of his father. The soul-crushing smack-down Oscar experiences when he starts playing Isaac Moss' game becomes the hard but glorious journey to his own salvation. Because all those things hit on multiple levels each, the story takes on a deeply impacting dimensionality of its own.
The modern cinema action flick (with its blink-and-you-miss-it sequences) encourages multiple viewings just to be sure it actually went down the way you think it did. Even though Moss is not the making of any kind of action flick, Pace's broad expression of vocabulary constantly actively drives the narrative. Having finished the book, I think I'm going to have to catch my breath, take inventory of my own soul, then re-read, just to make sure everything went down the way I think I read it.
While Pace was one of a few who unknowingly inspired me to grow a sack and publish a book myself, writing books will never be my "day job". When I see reviews for my work (Faith Hacker for the shameless plug op) describe it as something like a 'masterfully woven narrative', I abashedly grin. I appreciate it, but I can't help but think the reviewer hasn't read many books lately, and certainly not like Moss by Joe Pace.
Oscar Kendal as portrayed in Moss reminds me a touch of Adam Sandler's version of Paul Crewe from The Longest Yard. That said, the fuel Moss runs on makes it just right for the sarcastic humor that laces it. Instead of the pressure of government authority, Oscar is pitted against literary authority of his father. The soul-crushing smack-down Oscar experiences when he starts playing Isaac Moss' game becomes the hard but glorious journey to his own salvation. Because all those things hit on multiple levels each, the story takes on a deeply impacting dimensionality of its own.
The modern cinema action flick (with its blink-and-you-miss-it sequences) encourages multiple viewings just to be sure it actually went down the way you think it did. Even though Moss is not the making of any kind of action flick, Pace's broad expression of vocabulary constantly actively drives the narrative. Having finished the book, I think I'm going to have to catch my breath, take inventory of my own soul, then re-read, just to make sure everything went down the way I think I read it.
While Pace was one of a few who unknowingly inspired me to grow a sack and publish a book myself, writing books will never be my "day job". When I see reviews for my work (Faith Hacker for the shameless plug op) describe it as something like a 'masterfully woven narrative', I abashedly grin. I appreciate it, but I can't help but think the reviewer hasn't read many books lately, and certainly not like Moss by Joe Pace.
January 3, 2022
MUST READ! The life story of Oscar Kendall will truly captivate you, drag you through a whirlwind of emotions and leave you wanting more. Along Oscar’s journey, you are transported from Maryland to New Hampshire and it feels as if you are seeing and feeling everything that Oscar does. The story was well written and vividly depicted!
February 21, 2022
Review on Reedsy:
Oscar Kendall has no memory of meeting his father, but he knows a lot about him. This is not just because of the letters, filled with age-inappropriate advice, that his father wrote to him throughout his youth, but because his father was famous. Isaiah Moss was a Great American Novelist, ‘heir to Hemingway and Steinbeck, peer of Vonnegut and Updike, an immortal’ (p.12). Oscar, an English teacher and aspiring writer, has spent his life in his father’s shadow, even while keeping the relationship secret. Small wonder that, as he tells us repeatedly, he hated his father.
When Isaiah Moss dies, he leaves his fortune and the rights to his work to a trust for the Korean War Memorial in Washington DC, but leaves his cabin in New Hampshire to his son. When Oscar heads up there with his father’s ashes, it opens the way to a new understanding of his father’s wartime experiences. At the same time, a relationship with the amputee war veteran next door lets us see the effects of more recent wars.
In many ways, this is a book about aftermath, about dealing with the effects of traumatic events and the long shadows they cast. Much of the drama therefore happens off-stage, temporally and physically, as in an ancient Greek play. The novel is so well-paced though that you don’t feel any lack of drama, and when death does come to New Hampshire, it’s even more shocking than if we had seen more of the wartime experiences up close.
Oscar’s voice as the first-person narrator is compelling throughout, with some marvellous snarky comments that are just too good not to quote, like this one, on his car journey to New Hampshire with his father’s ashes: ‘Father and son road trip. Those nine hours in my Hyundai increased the total time we’d spent together by eight hours. He was uncharacteristically quiet’ (p.30). Alongside the dark humour though is a subtle evolution in Oscar’s view of his father and in his own personality. As Oscar moves from the petulant ‘I hated my father’ of the early chapters to a more rounded understanding of Isaiah, we get to see how he himself is finally growing up.
This is a subtle and thoughtful novel, a counterpoint to the stories we tell ourselves about war, masculinity, the American century and the American dream. It’s highly recommended.
Oscar Kendall has no memory of meeting his father, but he knows a lot about him. This is not just because of the letters, filled with age-inappropriate advice, that his father wrote to him throughout his youth, but because his father was famous. Isaiah Moss was a Great American Novelist, ‘heir to Hemingway and Steinbeck, peer of Vonnegut and Updike, an immortal’ (p.12). Oscar, an English teacher and aspiring writer, has spent his life in his father’s shadow, even while keeping the relationship secret. Small wonder that, as he tells us repeatedly, he hated his father.
When Isaiah Moss dies, he leaves his fortune and the rights to his work to a trust for the Korean War Memorial in Washington DC, but leaves his cabin in New Hampshire to his son. When Oscar heads up there with his father’s ashes, it opens the way to a new understanding of his father’s wartime experiences. At the same time, a relationship with the amputee war veteran next door lets us see the effects of more recent wars.
In many ways, this is a book about aftermath, about dealing with the effects of traumatic events and the long shadows they cast. Much of the drama therefore happens off-stage, temporally and physically, as in an ancient Greek play. The novel is so well-paced though that you don’t feel any lack of drama, and when death does come to New Hampshire, it’s even more shocking than if we had seen more of the wartime experiences up close.
Oscar’s voice as the first-person narrator is compelling throughout, with some marvellous snarky comments that are just too good not to quote, like this one, on his car journey to New Hampshire with his father’s ashes: ‘Father and son road trip. Those nine hours in my Hyundai increased the total time we’d spent together by eight hours. He was uncharacteristically quiet’ (p.30). Alongside the dark humour though is a subtle evolution in Oscar’s view of his father and in his own personality. As Oscar moves from the petulant ‘I hated my father’ of the early chapters to a more rounded understanding of Isaiah, we get to see how he himself is finally growing up.
This is a subtle and thoughtful novel, a counterpoint to the stories we tell ourselves about war, masculinity, the American century and the American dream. It’s highly recommended.
January 1, 2022
Joe Pace writes an excellent tale with a main character with whom I found it very easy to identify. Oscar lives in the shadow of his literary giant of a father, and all anyone can focus on is the sheer weight of the words Dad puts to paper. And when your talents are good enough to distract from your many shortcomings, you know what kind of a person that turns you into...
What is it about juggernaut Dads that convince them their sons ought to learn life-altering lessons by the mere relation of experience? By the pronouncement of "This is how it is, son. And how it will always be." in domineering tones and with the unapologetic weight of Someone Who Figured It All Out?
Braggadocious correspondence is seemingly all Oscar gets from his Dad - not much to go on if your goal is to emerge from Dad's shadow. And isn't that what Dad really wants for Oscar?
For all his literary genius, Dad seems to have forgotten one of writing's most precious axioms - "Show me, don't tell me." Or has he? Will Oscar figure it out and be able to step out of his famous father's shadow?
What is it about juggernaut Dads that convince them their sons ought to learn life-altering lessons by the mere relation of experience? By the pronouncement of "This is how it is, son. And how it will always be." in domineering tones and with the unapologetic weight of Someone Who Figured It All Out?
Braggadocious correspondence is seemingly all Oscar gets from his Dad - not much to go on if your goal is to emerge from Dad's shadow. And isn't that what Dad really wants for Oscar?
For all his literary genius, Dad seems to have forgotten one of writing's most precious axioms - "Show me, don't tell me." Or has he? Will Oscar figure it out and be able to step out of his famous father's shadow?
February 14, 2022
A great book swirls all around you. The words disappear. You become part of the story, even if as an observer.
An even better story whips you back to the page every so often. The words are so knowing, and touch you so deeply, you have to wonder at the magic that they were a part of you before they were written.
This is Moss.
At a time when vulnerability has become a buzz word, Joe reminds us of what authenticity feels like.
The story was quick to capture my attention and I found myself thinking of the characters throughout the day. It’s a beautiful story and is exquisitely written. I highly recommend ordering a copy and experiencing it for yourself
An even better story whips you back to the page every so often. The words are so knowing, and touch you so deeply, you have to wonder at the magic that they were a part of you before they were written.
This is Moss.
At a time when vulnerability has become a buzz word, Joe reminds us of what authenticity feels like.
The story was quick to capture my attention and I found myself thinking of the characters throughout the day. It’s a beautiful story and is exquisitely written. I highly recommend ordering a copy and experiencing it for yourself
September 6, 2023
I started this book three times before I finally got to page 52 and wanted to stop reading all together, because I just seemed to be struggling to enjoy it. From the overabundance of typos/editing problems, to never mentioning "the manuscript" again, I almost put it down. But I'm glad I didn't. This story is about the ravages of war, heartache and how sometimes parents, who are only trying to do what they think is best for their children, fail miserably. Fortunately for Oscar Kendall, he is able to learn the truth behind his birth father's absence and unloving behavior before the end of the book, which gives him some closure. I won't give spoilers, but there is a particular scene in the book involving May that I did not see coming and it completely caught me off-guard. So much so that I had to close the book for the evening and pick it up the following day. In my opinion, it's the catalyst of the story that finally pushes everything forward, even though the book is already three quarters of the way through at this point. One scene at the beginning of the book disturbed me greatly, when Oscar goes home to masturbate to the image of Odette, one of the high school girls he coaches, after flirting with him earlier in the day. Completely unnecessary to the story as far as I'm concerned.
My biggest pet peeve when reading any book is typos and poor editing. This book is riddled with both, unfortunately. I won't list them all here, but some that I discovered: "I sat on cool a cool granite stair;" "Isaiah Moss had been an vulgar and banal creature;" "She was sitting upright on the edge of pier;" "...she had swung herself into a lightweight wheelchair and rolled the dining area;" "I was still mostly asleep standing in cabin's little stall-shower;" "by the crisp ebon (ebony?) strip of asphalt;" "Framed pictured, framed certificates, framed newspaper articles lay in jumbled ruins." "She was wrapped in a various long and multicolored knit scarves..." "Thin lines of pink neon limned (lined?) the ceiling;" -- You get the picture. I write honest reviews because I believe the authors and readers deserve to know the truth. It is never my intention to hurt anyone's feelings, nor do I get pleasure in doing so. I would have no problem giving this book a higher rating if a proper edit was done.
Some of my favorite passages from the book:
"So the sun shone down with egg-yolk indifference and I drove, listening to the musical equivalent of Novocain and reveling in my own semi-consciousness."
"The one true love of my father's life, his monogamous and faithful partner, had been a 1948 Remington Rand Delux 5."
"Where Juliet had been a developing Polaroid you had to hold carefully by the edges, May was a battered snapshot, with smudged thumbprints and a tear in one corner."
"It was dry and warm and barely there, like shaking hands with a childhood summer's day."
My biggest pet peeve when reading any book is typos and poor editing. This book is riddled with both, unfortunately. I won't list them all here, but some that I discovered: "I sat on cool a cool granite stair;" "Isaiah Moss had been an vulgar and banal creature;" "She was sitting upright on the edge of pier;" "...she had swung herself into a lightweight wheelchair and rolled the dining area;" "I was still mostly asleep standing in cabin's little stall-shower;" "by the crisp ebon (ebony?) strip of asphalt;" "Framed pictured, framed certificates, framed newspaper articles lay in jumbled ruins." "She was wrapped in a various long and multicolored knit scarves..." "Thin lines of pink neon limned (lined?) the ceiling;" -- You get the picture. I write honest reviews because I believe the authors and readers deserve to know the truth. It is never my intention to hurt anyone's feelings, nor do I get pleasure in doing so. I would have no problem giving this book a higher rating if a proper edit was done.
Some of my favorite passages from the book:
"So the sun shone down with egg-yolk indifference and I drove, listening to the musical equivalent of Novocain and reveling in my own semi-consciousness."
"The one true love of my father's life, his monogamous and faithful partner, had been a 1948 Remington Rand Delux 5."
"Where Juliet had been a developing Polaroid you had to hold carefully by the edges, May was a battered snapshot, with smudged thumbprints and a tear in one corner."
"It was dry and warm and barely there, like shaking hands with a childhood summer's day."
March 12, 2022
The Review
This was a truly profound and moving read. The author did an incredible job of crafting a character-driven narrative that excelled in the most personal and intimate of ways. The emotional pull of the narrative and the honesty in which the author crafted these characters was both relatable and yet mesmerizing to behold, especially with main characters Oscar and May, who each hold a past of hardships and struggles in their own right.
There were quite a lot of truly memorable themes in this story, but two of the ones that stood out the most were the complexity of loss and the legacy of war. These themes were profound as they reflected Oscar and May’s individual journeys perfectly. The heartbreaking reality of Oscar’s non-existent relationship with his late father and the path he must walk to find empathy and understanding for others who are suffering is felt strongly, while May’s experiences with the war and how it has impacted her not only physically but emotionally and mentally as well are greatly explored and keep an honest dialogue going within the reader throughout the narrative.
The Verdict
Heartfelt, poetic, and engaging, author Joe Pace’s “Moss” is a must-read novel. The intense and layered struggles that we as humans face and the way in which we relate to one another are thoroughly explored in this narrative, and the heart of the narrative focuses on connections and how we engage with one another despite past experiences or traumas made this such a moving read.
This was a truly profound and moving read. The author did an incredible job of crafting a character-driven narrative that excelled in the most personal and intimate of ways. The emotional pull of the narrative and the honesty in which the author crafted these characters was both relatable and yet mesmerizing to behold, especially with main characters Oscar and May, who each hold a past of hardships and struggles in their own right.
There were quite a lot of truly memorable themes in this story, but two of the ones that stood out the most were the complexity of loss and the legacy of war. These themes were profound as they reflected Oscar and May’s individual journeys perfectly. The heartbreaking reality of Oscar’s non-existent relationship with his late father and the path he must walk to find empathy and understanding for others who are suffering is felt strongly, while May’s experiences with the war and how it has impacted her not only physically but emotionally and mentally as well are greatly explored and keep an honest dialogue going within the reader throughout the narrative.
The Verdict
Heartfelt, poetic, and engaging, author Joe Pace’s “Moss” is a must-read novel. The intense and layered struggles that we as humans face and the way in which we relate to one another are thoroughly explored in this narrative, and the heart of the narrative focuses on connections and how we engage with one another despite past experiences or traumas made this such a moving read.
March 4, 2022
Joe Pace’s Moss is a literary work that portrays the life of Oscar Kendall after the death of his father. For a long time, his greatest shadow was his father, Isaiah Moss.
Oscar’s feelings for his father show the reality of someone who feels so small and incapable in front of his father’s personification and achievements. Isaiah, a renowned writer, experienced several achievements and received top awards throughout his career. On the other side was his son, who wanted the same for himself. However, the fear of failure was greater than his will to succeed in what he did. Isaiah’s influence follows Oscar causing him to lose his identity and almost always question whether he was good enough.
During the course of the book, the main character goes through several experiences after inheriting his father’s cabin in New Hampshire. The author writes in first person from the perspective of Oscar. This allows readers to empathize with Oscar as he describes his feelings about his father and his influence. Then, the war veteran, May, enters the story, which causes Oscar’s love life to take a significant turn.
Being in front of his father’s things and coming to understand him when he had passed away changed Oscar’s perception of many things that, for him, were static. At certain moments, I felt sad for Oscar’s loss and the turn of things in his life. However, with the engaging narration, Oscar’s particular sense of humor, perceptive worldview along with the author’s clear writing, the story is very enjoyable and carries the reader swiftly to the end.
Moss is an impassioned novel about love and loss and how complex they are depending on your perspective. A work of literary fiction and self-discovery, readers will follow Oscar as he discovers the truth about his father and himself.
Oscar’s feelings for his father show the reality of someone who feels so small and incapable in front of his father’s personification and achievements. Isaiah, a renowned writer, experienced several achievements and received top awards throughout his career. On the other side was his son, who wanted the same for himself. However, the fear of failure was greater than his will to succeed in what he did. Isaiah’s influence follows Oscar causing him to lose his identity and almost always question whether he was good enough.
During the course of the book, the main character goes through several experiences after inheriting his father’s cabin in New Hampshire. The author writes in first person from the perspective of Oscar. This allows readers to empathize with Oscar as he describes his feelings about his father and his influence. Then, the war veteran, May, enters the story, which causes Oscar’s love life to take a significant turn.
Being in front of his father’s things and coming to understand him when he had passed away changed Oscar’s perception of many things that, for him, were static. At certain moments, I felt sad for Oscar’s loss and the turn of things in his life. However, with the engaging narration, Oscar’s particular sense of humor, perceptive worldview along with the author’s clear writing, the story is very enjoyable and carries the reader swiftly to the end.
Moss is an impassioned novel about love and loss and how complex they are depending on your perspective. A work of literary fiction and self-discovery, readers will follow Oscar as he discovers the truth about his father and himself.
January 1, 2022
Joe Pace has written a deeply personal and affecting tale about what it means to live so deeply in another's shadow that your own sense of identity suffers. But it is also a tale about delusion, about the legacy of war, about suffering, about complicity, and about deliverance. It is easily Pace's best work to date, and signals a really compelling new chapter in his writing career. This is a novel that belongs in college classrooms as much as it belongs in airport carousels - it is engaging reading with some truly funny moments in it, and some scenes that will completely break your heart. It's storytelling without pretension, but the telling of a story that matters. New England hasn't had an author quite like this since John Irving, and if Moss is any indication, we are all in for a hell of a ride.
Disclaimer: I know the author. He and I are friends. Close enough, in fact, that if his book were garbage, I would tell him. This review of mine is absolutely earned, not given. Go buy this book. You'll be glad you did.
Disclaimer: I know the author. He and I are friends. Close enough, in fact, that if his book were garbage, I would tell him. This review of mine is absolutely earned, not given. Go buy this book. You'll be glad you did.
April 12, 2022
Excellent writing! I actually finished this book a few days ago but I needed some time to digest it. This is a coming of age story for 43 year old Oscar Kendall… but it’s so much more than that. The book explores the topics of family, relationships, war and PTSD. Oscar is growing and learning while grappling with the death of his father that he never met.
I will say that this book is a rough read. All of these issues are faced unflinchingly. Everyone is flawed and it’s hard to know who to root for through most of the book. There is a shocking event near the end which finally gives the reader a chance to stand with Oscar and hope he can overcome.
As I said in the beginning, Moss is an excellent book! Any book that can force a reader to think and reflect on it when it’s done, is a book I can wholeheartedly recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I will say that this book is a rough read. All of these issues are faced unflinchingly. Everyone is flawed and it’s hard to know who to root for through most of the book. There is a shocking event near the end which finally gives the reader a chance to stand with Oscar and hope he can overcome.
As I said in the beginning, Moss is an excellent book! Any book that can force a reader to think and reflect on it when it’s done, is a book I can wholeheartedly recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 13, 2022
The opening angst pulled me in, as it will for many who have endured distant relationships with those for whom you desire love or confirmation. The book evolves into a modern love story with all of the dysfunction of handling 21st century mental health challenges as the central character courts disaster and thinks he has a winning chance. The characters' voices are well-written and distinct. There is so much hope and as with real life familial ties and love interest; "Moss" connects deeply. Pace creates a respectful place for the memory of war veterans, without the over-glorification of nationalism. His eye-opening view into the living tragedy of how coming home safe from a war zone is not always the best outcome.
March 31, 2022
A haunting, wonderful yet heart-wrenching story. Everyone can benefit from Isaiah Moss's acerbic, no-nonsense letters about life! The writing is exceptional. The bleak, witty, and barbed narrative fits the mood of all the sad, mad characters.
This is a very depressing story of an estranged father and son, the former is a literary legend and the latter is an unpublished writer, and the unique people they cross paths with.
It talks about many dark topics: war, casualties, families of veterans, loss, grief, trauma, despair, crushed dreams, bad parents, abandonment, redemption, self-discovery, and love, or the delusion of love. A real eye-opener to why some people are incapable to love!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a very depressing story of an estranged father and son, the former is a literary legend and the latter is an unpublished writer, and the unique people they cross paths with.
It talks about many dark topics: war, casualties, families of veterans, loss, grief, trauma, despair, crushed dreams, bad parents, abandonment, redemption, self-discovery, and love, or the delusion of love. A real eye-opener to why some people are incapable to love!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 12, 2022
As an English major and educator, I am a tough critic when it comes to literary works, yet here I am now unable to find the most perfect words to capture Moss and all of its positive attributes. It is one where I found moments of laugh-out-loud pleasure, especially as a New Hampshirite. It is also one where there was such a severe moment of solemnity that I had to take a deep breath in order to make it through the few pages of an unexpected event. From the character development of Kendall, to the brilliantly detailed prose- this work so creatively pulls in passion, history, and drama- all so vividly.
January 9, 2022
Highly recommend this book.
The story is compelling, which makes the book hard to put down. In some ways, you could call it a “page turner” except that the writing is so strikingly eloquent that you will want to slow down and enjoy every word. You will immediately love Oscar and empathize with his struggles.
The author has crafted several voices,including that of Oscar’s father, revealed through a series of father to son letters that, without including any spoilers, I’ll just say are equally disturbing and brilliant.
The story is compelling, which makes the book hard to put down. In some ways, you could call it a “page turner” except that the writing is so strikingly eloquent that you will want to slow down and enjoy every word. You will immediately love Oscar and empathize with his struggles.
The author has crafted several voices,including that of Oscar’s father, revealed through a series of father to son letters that, without including any spoilers, I’ll just say are equally disturbing and brilliant.
February 20, 2022
A good book draws in the reader and a great book keeps them there. Moss is in the second category. Oscar Kendall's story, living in the shadow of his famous father is incredibly well written. I was drawn in and captured, both by the quality of the writing and of the story. I cheered for him at the end, after watching him slink through his life. Great heartbreak and amazing insights save him. Read this. Nice work Joe Pace.
February 2, 2022
Moss is the story of Oliver Kendall coming to terms with the relationship he had with his absentee father, and the awakening of emotions previously absent in all his other relationships. More importantly, it is a story about the difficult legacy the trauma of war leaves upon generations. Pace’s writing is sharp, witty, and beautiful. Highly recommend!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2022
This book was an incredible journey about love, loss, and family. I absolutely loved it. I felt connected to the characters so much that I felt emotions for them as they went through their experiences. This novel is full of beautiful and detailed writing that puts you inside the story with the characters. Highly recommend.
February 25, 2022
A heartbreaking story fantastically written by Joe Pace. After I finished it I read it again, just to absorb the beauty of his prose.
January 5, 2022
Moss is a must read!
A great mix of comedy and drama. Main character Oscar Kendall inherits his famous writer fathers New Hampshire lake cabin. Spending the summer there he learns more about his father after death than he ever did in life, meets a cast of truly New England characters, finding friendship and love like he hadn't previously experienced in his 43 years. Entertaining from page 1 and surprising till the very end. Highly recommend!
A great mix of comedy and drama. Main character Oscar Kendall inherits his famous writer fathers New Hampshire lake cabin. Spending the summer there he learns more about his father after death than he ever did in life, meets a cast of truly New England characters, finding friendship and love like he hadn't previously experienced in his 43 years. Entertaining from page 1 and surprising till the very end. Highly recommend!
March 28, 2022
Before deciding on a book, we typically read the blurb either on the book jacket or online to see if this is a story we want to dedicate several hours of our lives to. At least, that’s what I do. Based on the blurb for Moss, I expected the story of a moral dilemma regarding a man trying to decide if he should pass his late father’s manuscript off as his own. That’s not what I got. Moss gave so much more.
Oscar Kendall is the son of one of America’s greatest literary authors - Isaiah Moss. However, only a handful of people know this by Oscar’s choosing. He’s never met his father and his only communication has been letters that Isaiah wrote to him - often offering advice inappropriate to Oscar’s age. Upon his father’s death, Oscar inherits his New Hampshire lakefront cabin, which contains an unpublished manuscript. Yes, Oscar does struggle with whether or not he ought to pass the novel off as his own, but that’s not the story. The story is about Oscar’s relationship with May, the paraplegic veteran who lives next door, as well as May’s grandmother Ruby, and a few other women who teach Oscar a thing or two about life. And this is where I stop trying to summarize the novel because it’s so deep and introspective, I’m not sure I can do it justice.
It’s a coming-of-age story, even though the protagonist is in his early 40s.
The prose is wonderful. Seriously, some of the finest writing I’ve read in quite a long time (I suppose I ought to read more literary fiction). The characters are complex and wonderfully flawed. From Oscar, who longs to be a published author but never submits his work since he can’t measure up to his father. To May, who became an amputee in Afghanistan and continues to live with a missing piece of her soul. To Ruby, the gruff, no-nonsense neighbor who cared for Isaiah Moss and still longs for her husband lost in Vietnam. Beautiful, warped lives that propped each other up, ripped each other apart, and taught tough-love lessons.
There is only one reason I didn’t rate this novel higher and please don’t hate on me, because I’m aware it’s horrendously nitpicky. While most of the story takes place in New Hampshire, Oscar teaches at a fictional school located in Southern Maryland. I liked the school, I have no problem with fictional locales, but the location of the school, in relation to everything else mentioned in Maryland, didn’t make sense.. See, I live in Southern Maryland and it’s a very specific area. We are not a stone’s throw from DC, nor are we anywhere near Walter Reed Army Hospital. The school should have been set in Montgomery county, maybe in Bethesda. That would have made sense.
I know, I know, minor details. And I got over it. But there was still that small sigh in the back of my mind. That “but…,” that lingered. Kind of like watching Transformers, set in DC but filmed in Chicago. Or Die Hard 2, set at Dulles Airport but obviously filmed on the west coast. It was irksome and stayed lodged in the back of my mind, pulling me away from the story.
My final rating came in at 4.25 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ Not quite enough to round up to five stars but still, a really wonderful read.
Thank you to BookSirens for providing the ARC copy of this novel. I have left my review voluntarily and honestly.
Oscar Kendall is the son of one of America’s greatest literary authors - Isaiah Moss. However, only a handful of people know this by Oscar’s choosing. He’s never met his father and his only communication has been letters that Isaiah wrote to him - often offering advice inappropriate to Oscar’s age. Upon his father’s death, Oscar inherits his New Hampshire lakefront cabin, which contains an unpublished manuscript. Yes, Oscar does struggle with whether or not he ought to pass the novel off as his own, but that’s not the story. The story is about Oscar’s relationship with May, the paraplegic veteran who lives next door, as well as May’s grandmother Ruby, and a few other women who teach Oscar a thing or two about life. And this is where I stop trying to summarize the novel because it’s so deep and introspective, I’m not sure I can do it justice.
It’s a coming-of-age story, even though the protagonist is in his early 40s.
The prose is wonderful. Seriously, some of the finest writing I’ve read in quite a long time (I suppose I ought to read more literary fiction). The characters are complex and wonderfully flawed. From Oscar, who longs to be a published author but never submits his work since he can’t measure up to his father. To May, who became an amputee in Afghanistan and continues to live with a missing piece of her soul. To Ruby, the gruff, no-nonsense neighbor who cared for Isaiah Moss and still longs for her husband lost in Vietnam. Beautiful, warped lives that propped each other up, ripped each other apart, and taught tough-love lessons.
There is only one reason I didn’t rate this novel higher and please don’t hate on me, because I’m aware it’s horrendously nitpicky. While most of the story takes place in New Hampshire, Oscar teaches at a fictional school located in Southern Maryland. I liked the school, I have no problem with fictional locales, but the location of the school, in relation to everything else mentioned in Maryland, didn’t make sense.. See, I live in Southern Maryland and it’s a very specific area. We are not a stone’s throw from DC, nor are we anywhere near Walter Reed Army Hospital. The school should have been set in Montgomery county, maybe in Bethesda. That would have made sense.
I know, I know, minor details. And I got over it. But there was still that small sigh in the back of my mind. That “but…,” that lingered. Kind of like watching Transformers, set in DC but filmed in Chicago. Or Die Hard 2, set at Dulles Airport but obviously filmed on the west coast. It was irksome and stayed lodged in the back of my mind, pulling me away from the story.
My final rating came in at 4.25 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ Not quite enough to round up to five stars but still, a really wonderful read.
Thank you to BookSirens for providing the ARC copy of this novel. I have left my review voluntarily and honestly.
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February 13, 2023MWSA Review
In Moss, author Joe Pace relates the story of Oscar Kendall, a prep school literature teacher and son of world-famous, critically-acclaimed writer Isaiah Moss. Oscar struggles with his own writing, compares himself to his father, and gives up on both his writing and relationships with predictable frequency. He prefers to live life with no one expecting anything from him.
Oscar freely admits he hates his father, and Isaiah, through his letters over the years, tells Oscar he never loved him and doesn’t care to know him. Yet when Isaiah dies, he bequeaths his New Hampshire lakeside writing cabin and everything in it to Oscar.
During the summer he spends at the cabin, Oscar finds an unfinished manuscript of his father’s and anguishes about what to do with it. After reading it, he concludes it is Isaiah Moss’s best work in a lifetime of extraordinary writing. Oscar’s dilemma is whether to pass it off as his own to launch his own writing career or relegate it to his father’s legacy.
While at the cabin, Oscar meets the colorful neighbors at the lake and learns their sometimes-tragic stories. He drinks his father’s liquor and, trying to find his own muse, starts to write using his father’s typewriter. Throughout the summer he learns some of his father’s secrets. Learns more about the man he said he hated. Learns more about the neighbors, more about himself. As the new school year begins and Oscar returns to the classroom, he finally realizes the extent of the gift his father gave him.
Mr. Pace’s prose flows beautifully, and his delicious descriptions of people and places create images that will stay in the reader’s mind for a long time. He draws on both literature and mythology for spot-on metaphors, and leaves the reader wanting more.
This book is written for a literate reader, and it does not disappoint. It is a book to read more than once—not only for the story, but also for the beauty of the way it is written.
Review by Patricia Walkow (February 2023)
In Moss, author Joe Pace relates the story of Oscar Kendall, a prep school literature teacher and son of world-famous, critically-acclaimed writer Isaiah Moss. Oscar struggles with his own writing, compares himself to his father, and gives up on both his writing and relationships with predictable frequency. He prefers to live life with no one expecting anything from him.
Oscar freely admits he hates his father, and Isaiah, through his letters over the years, tells Oscar he never loved him and doesn’t care to know him. Yet when Isaiah dies, he bequeaths his New Hampshire lakeside writing cabin and everything in it to Oscar.
During the summer he spends at the cabin, Oscar finds an unfinished manuscript of his father’s and anguishes about what to do with it. After reading it, he concludes it is Isaiah Moss’s best work in a lifetime of extraordinary writing. Oscar’s dilemma is whether to pass it off as his own to launch his own writing career or relegate it to his father’s legacy.
While at the cabin, Oscar meets the colorful neighbors at the lake and learns their sometimes-tragic stories. He drinks his father’s liquor and, trying to find his own muse, starts to write using his father’s typewriter. Throughout the summer he learns some of his father’s secrets. Learns more about the man he said he hated. Learns more about the neighbors, more about himself. As the new school year begins and Oscar returns to the classroom, he finally realizes the extent of the gift his father gave him.
Mr. Pace’s prose flows beautifully, and his delicious descriptions of people and places create images that will stay in the reader’s mind for a long time. He draws on both literature and mythology for spot-on metaphors, and leaves the reader wanting more.
This book is written for a literate reader, and it does not disappoint. It is a book to read more than once—not only for the story, but also for the beauty of the way it is written.
Review by Patricia Walkow (February 2023)
July 17, 2025
A Quiet Thunderclap of a Novel
Joe Pace's Moss is the kind of book that doesn’t shout, it lingers. It simmers beneath your skin, quietly unraveling the complexities of legacy, identity, and the ghosts we inherit. The character of Oscar Kendall is beautifully flawed, heartbreakingly real, and somehow, in all his self-doubt and hesitation, completely unforgettable.
The writing? Seamless. Witty when it needs to be, brutal when it has to be, and poetic without ever trying too hard. The cabin, the typewriter, the manuscript, it all feels like literary mythology brought to life. Pace doesn't just tell a story; he layers it with nuance, grief, hope, and the terrifying freedom of second chances.
By the time I turned the last page, I didn’t just feel like I’d read a great book. I felt like I’d been haunted by one.
If you're a fan of literary fiction that has depth, heart, and a voice entirely its own, Moss should be on your shelf. Then in your heart. Then on your re-read list.
Bravo, Joe. Seriously.
Joe Pace's Moss is the kind of book that doesn’t shout, it lingers. It simmers beneath your skin, quietly unraveling the complexities of legacy, identity, and the ghosts we inherit. The character of Oscar Kendall is beautifully flawed, heartbreakingly real, and somehow, in all his self-doubt and hesitation, completely unforgettable.
The writing? Seamless. Witty when it needs to be, brutal when it has to be, and poetic without ever trying too hard. The cabin, the typewriter, the manuscript, it all feels like literary mythology brought to life. Pace doesn't just tell a story; he layers it with nuance, grief, hope, and the terrifying freedom of second chances.
By the time I turned the last page, I didn’t just feel like I’d read a great book. I felt like I’d been haunted by one.
If you're a fan of literary fiction that has depth, heart, and a voice entirely its own, Moss should be on your shelf. Then in your heart. Then on your re-read list.
Bravo, Joe. Seriously.
April 6, 2024
One word describes this novel...powerful.
First, the local flavor. Mr. Pace is a New Hampshire native. The book takes place on “Franklin Lake” in New Hampshire, but the narrator takes the reader on a few trips around the state. It’s always nice to see the highways and directions right.
The narrator is a teacher and failed author who is the son of a scion of literature who he only met for about an hour as a newborn. When his father dies, he chases the ghost and meets intriguing characters along the way.
This is not about a plot. It is about a man finding himself. Most of all, it is beautifully written – almost like a collection of essays as Oscar learns about his father, himself, loves and losses.
This is not a novel with grins and giggles or great mystery. It is, however, great writing and thought-provoking.
First, the local flavor. Mr. Pace is a New Hampshire native. The book takes place on “Franklin Lake” in New Hampshire, but the narrator takes the reader on a few trips around the state. It’s always nice to see the highways and directions right.
The narrator is a teacher and failed author who is the son of a scion of literature who he only met for about an hour as a newborn. When his father dies, he chases the ghost and meets intriguing characters along the way.
This is not about a plot. It is about a man finding himself. Most of all, it is beautifully written – almost like a collection of essays as Oscar learns about his father, himself, loves and losses.
This is not a novel with grins and giggles or great mystery. It is, however, great writing and thought-provoking.
February 6, 2022
Towards the end, Oscar the teacher explains that the only thing that matters when judging a book is whether it did or didn’t speak to the reader doing the judging. This book speaks, or rather it spoke to me. I did find some of the description / prose a little bit jarring at times, but such passages are vastly outnumbered by the wonderful ones. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
April 24, 2022
Excellent novel by Joe Pace. The voice of the characters shine through and the narrative flows smoothly, making the reader excited for what will come next.
April 19, 2022
Great read! Loved how the author developed the characters. Pace's writing style is very engaging and there's no fluff here!
If you are looking for a good book to read, this is it. It's on the top of my great books that I read this year. Can't wait for his next book!
If you are looking for a good book to read, this is it. It's on the top of my great books that I read this year. Can't wait for his next book!
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