
From magical marbles and gifts from the Czar, to snow angels and the Angel of Death, the stories in Joseph’s Bones speak of perseverance, disappointment, hope and joy.
Ordinary stuff, common to all of us, no matter what our background.
Joseph’s Bones, won First Place in the 2005 Writer’s Digest Press International Self-Published Book Awards.
An excerpt from Chapter 10
IN THE END
As newlyweds, Poppa and Momma make a pact. He'll die first since he is, after all, fifteen years older. But it doesn’t work out that way.
In her sixty-fifth year, with little warning, Momma reneges on her part of the bargain. Poppa agrees to come live with me.
“I’ll be dead in a month,” he says. “You’ll see. Without her I won’t last a month. Six weeks, tops. I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”
Six weeks, six months, ten months later, Poppa is still in fine fettle. Strong as an ox. Sleeping on the pullout couch in my den, fully dressed with his hat on.
“I need to be ready,” he explains.
On Momma’s one-year yarzheit, Poppa knocks back his breakfast shot of Wild Turkey, and mutters, “Where is he, the delinquent?” and starts hunting for the Angel of Death.