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Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite
Rendezvous With the Fat Man by Jan Leslie Sherman and Gail Sherman Jones is a true story. During 1972-1980, twenty-two-year-old Jan Sherman decided to become a cocaine dealer to support her extravagant lifestyle. Although inexperienced, Jan was cunning and carefully planned her trips. She flew to China, Africa, and South American countries, mainly Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, posing as a freelance photographer while making drug connections. Jan travelled to Bolivia and formed an unusual bond with Papi, aka “The Fat Man”. He became her main cocaine supplier and showed her his laboratory in the hills. Each drug sale enabled Jan to live flamboyantly and travel extensively worldwide. As the need for money grew, she often visited Papi, increasing cocaine orders. Jan’s poor judgment of the people she used as mules almost cost her life or led to her arrest. She was secretive, fearless, but cautious, hiding her double life from her family, whom she seldom visited and seemed to resent.
I was very impressed with Rendezvous With the Fat Man, a true crime story of marijuana and cocaine from the personal adventures of Jan Sherman. She was one of the few successful female drug dealers of the 1970s. Although Jan lived a glamorous life, it seemed that she was also reckless with her money and too carefree, giving little thought to the future or her own well-being. She distanced herself from her family even more, preferring to associate with the fast “Hollywood crowd” who led similar lifestyles. Jan’s sister, Gail, found a box containing a manuscript that Jan wrote, detailing her dangerous drug trafficking adventures titled Rendezvous With a Fat Man, and an emotional CD recording Jan made. I felt Gail’s grief for not being given the chance to know her sister, yet I didn’t feel empathy for Jan, who was selfish with her feelings and self-interested. The box also contained over sixty lovely pictures that Jan took on her extensive travels to other countries. These included Papi with his workers in Bolivia, local tourist attractions, and family photos. Rendezvous With the Fat Man by Jan Sherman and Gail Sherman Jones will give readers a fascinating first-hand account of the underworld from an unconventional woman.
