Max Lakeman and the Beautiful Stranger

What a pity this book is not easily available!It is a really whacky yet winsome blend of the unbelievable and the mundane - Max Lakeman mows lawns for a living, and loves it; but he is also a dreamer. When his innocent day-dreams manifest in the shape of a beautiful woman in the rhododendron bushes, the world of tomato ketchup and kids seems more like the dream ...What is arresting about this book is the skill with which the writer has created a very richly textured microcosm of reality brinking on unreality, and peopled it with characters so real they seem mythic, and situations so normal they seem bizarre.

This book is a joy to read. The language absolutely flows off the page and the story keeps you hooked right to the end. Max Lakeman is a grown-up who not only still mows lawns for a living, but LOVES to do so. The book tells his story in a similarly original and almost childlike manner. Mr. Cohen brings us an amazing story not only from the point of view of the hero but also from the point of view of his dog! We meet an old lady who speaks to JFK and a mysteriously beautiful young woman. The story culminates with a trip across space and time that will absolutely knock your socks off. Mr. Cohen will keep you laughing and sitting on the edge of your seats alternately for the whole thing!