"A motormouth Philip Roth." Matt Bell, author of Appleseed
At the dawn of the new millennium, Danny Gausepohl seems to have it all: a marriage to his college sweetheart, Lia Adams-a middle-class Jewish academic-, a steady job as head waiter at The American Bistro near the Bronx, and his first home in Brewster. But the stability he's built is fragile. Missteps, betrayals, and a devastating school shooting upend his world, unraveling everything he holds dear.
Meanwhile, the nation itself is in turmoil. The Columbine massacre, the contested Bush/Gore election, and the tragedy of 9/11 mark the beginning of a new, fractured America. Over the next fifteen years, Danny is forced to navigate personal and national upheaval, struggling to hold onto his identity as a hardworking husband and father. But when that identity is ripped away, he faces his greatest challenge yet: reinventing himself in a country that no longer feels like home.
The Gospel According to Danny is a deeply human story about love, fatherhood, and the cost of a divided nation, perfect for fans of Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, and We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. As Danny grapples with the loss of his values, beliefs, and sense of self, he must ask: Is there anything-or anyone-left to come home to?
