Fortunoff's Child

by Leslie Tonner
[ Fiction ]

Josie Goodman is a young woman who only wants to be normal. But how can she be, when her brother is a Hare Krishna, her father is the only anti-tobacco crusader to die in bed while smoking, and her mother is a famous pop psychologist and syndicated columnist adored by millions? Josie is determined that her bizarre family will not handicap her life, so she tries out for cheerleading, the debate club and the drama society with ridiculous results. She even feels like an outsider at the large state university she attends, where it seems all of the strangest students fit in. In a fatuous attempt to solve her problems Josie marries a misguided student radical until her marriage fails. The next man in her life is underwear manufacturer Jacob LaVine, who is contemptuous of her lack of skills in a kosher kitchen. Her last desperate try to fit in with the mainstream leads her to motherhood. Finally, as she deals with the unexpected challenges an exceptional child can bring, Josie learns how to reconcile her own relationship with her family.