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Reviewed by Gaius Konstantine for Readers' Favorite
“How could I have been so obtuse, so neglectful that my dying son hated me until the end?” For Joe Fredericks, the protagonist of Wayne Feinstein's novel, Turning, it took little effort to be such a sleazeball. Joe is the definition of success in one sense of the word. He's rich, affluent, and rubs elbows with the movers and shakers of NYC. He's also a shallow man with little understanding of what's truly important in life. After a call from his ex-wife, Molly, Joe learns his young son Steven is dying within days. To make matters worse, Steven explicitly forbids Joe from seeing him before he passes away. As life finally slaps Joe in the face, he awakens to the fact that somewhere along the way, he screwed up royally. Fearful of losing his daughter as well, Joe undertakes a journey of the soul as he tries to understand what went wrong, only to discover that while you may be able to win the rat-race in life, all it really means is that you're a bigger rat.
Uncomfortable yet poignant, and starting with a gut-punch, Turning by Wayne Feinstein is an emotionally resonant example of contemporary fiction. The plot centers on a gifted Jewish man who somehow forgot what it means to be a good family man and his struggles to cope with the aftermath. Throughout the narrative, numerous themes, including consequences and redemption, define the story and create a relatable tale. Character development is top-notch, but I want to focus on Joe because I know men like him. If it were possible to reach into the pages and strangle him, I would have done it. This guy is very realistic and made me wonder if the author based him on a real-life person. The pace is easy-going and matches the concise writing style well, making the novel both a believable tale and a warning to those who forget that riches mean little when your own family despises you.
