Book Description

Explosive psychological novel for fans of Michael Chabon, Mark Haddon, and George Saunders. Marilyn Monroe died just after midnight on August 5th, 1962; former Little League champion Kimitake "Clyde" Koba was born on the same day, at the same time. As Clyde struggles to escape the ghost of his brother and his alcoholic father and stumbles through his first love, he finds strength in the belief that he is the reincarnation of Monroe. Born on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, teen prodigy Raphael Dweck has been told his whole life that he has a special purpose in God's plan. The only problem is, he can't shake off his doubts, his urges, or the trail of trouble and ruin that follow in his wake. A decade later, Raphael and 'Marilyn' find each other wandering the plastic-bright streets of Hollywood and set out to make a documentary about the transmigration of souls. But when the roleplaying goes too far, they find themselves past the point of no return in their quest to prove who and what they are to their families, God, the world, and themselves. Israel and Japan collide in the City of Angels in this explosive psychological novel about faith, idol worship, and the search for identity by the author of Jerusalem Ablaze, Stories of Love and Other Obsessions. Praise for The Death of Baseball: "Orlando Ortega-Medina's engrossing new novel, The Death of Baseball, is an epic tale of loneliness and the desire of belonging" -Lambda Literary "A tight, Gothic tale of rejection, personal struggle, and acceptance..." -Foreword Reviews "Ortega-Medina's graphic prose is vivid...[his] deft construction of this complex plot reflects his experience in creating short stories..." -Kirkus Reviews "...[B]eautiful, in-depth characters and compelling storytelling" -Helen Lederer (The Times Literary Supplement) "Ortega-Medina brings a convincing passionate story of lives and dependencies, switching style and focus throughout to keep a sense of pace and engagement till the last page" -GScene Magazine "...[N]ecessary, heartfelt, thought-provoking and sublimely perfect... Oh yes. I did say perfect" -Raven Crime Reviews "[A]n intense and thought-provoking work...very much recommended" -TripFiction "[T]his author could write a story about paint drying and it'd be one of the most engrossing and compelling things you'd ever read" -The Worm Hole "The prose is beautifully wrought. It's easy to immerse yourself into this world, and into the characters...I sobbed at the end" -Reviews by Jaye