Introduction

In the vein of The Chosen, Catcher in the Rye,and The Kite Runner comes Adam Unrehearsed, a “hilarious, deeply moving, coming-of-age comedy” (Yossi Klein Halevi).

From the moment he’s mugged on the subway home from Bat Day at Yankee Stadium, things go wrong for twelve-year-old Adam Miller. He is in the Special Program for brainy kids, but his new junior high is on triple shift. When he gets on the wrong side of several gangs and needs them most, his friends disappear. As if that’s not enough, Adam discovers that his older brother has become a Zionist militant, his synagogue is repeatedly vandalized, and despite Adam’s “skinny voice,” his crazy new Cantor has grandiose plans for his Bar Mitzvah. Meanwhile, Adam dreams of his summer camp girlfriend in far off New Rochelle, but he’s too shy to pick up the phone. He even fails at shoplifting.

Bewildered and alone, Adam finds his only solace onstage, where he discovers the power of theater to bridge social divides. As he learns to stand out and stand up for himself, friends appear in the most unexpected places and Adam Miller discovers his own voice.

Adam Unrehearsed is a story of friendship, betrayal, life, death, and acting.

Colum McCann called it “comical…lyrical…menacing…gritty…tender…compassionate and propulsive.” Adam Unrehearsed will do for Flushing what Philip Roth did for Newark. Set in New York in 1970, just as American Jewry is coming of age, this is the next generation of great American Jewish fiction.

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Excerpt

Chapter 1
Mr. Beck informed the seventh-grade Two-Year SP class that they would no longer be coddled. Elementary school was behind them, and he was going to make their brains burst. Like his classmates, Adam had never had a male teacher before, and Mr. Beck was fierce. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

From the author:

1. Adam Unrehearsed tells of old friendships unraveling and new friendships forming. What surprised you most about Adam and his friends? How does this compare to your own experiences of childhood friendships?

2. How does Adam’s relationship differ with each of his mentor figures; the Cantor, Mr. Selenko, Seth, Mr. Miller? How do these shape Adam’s emerging identity and his sense of self? What does he take from each? What does he reject?

3. The members of the Miller family have different attitudes toward their personal sense of belonging and the Jewish community’s feeling of being secure and accepted in American society. How do these differ from one another and why? How does their experience compare to that other minorities and immigrant groups? How do the early 70s compare to today?

Weblinks

»	Author's website
»	Jewish Book Council Finalist - Remarks from the Judge

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