Navigating the Darwin Straits

Jordy McNeil moves with his mom back to the small town where she grew up. He's always been picked upon, due to his small size and his habits, but when the kids find out his mom's a lesbian, then his troubles get worse for a while. Jordy learns to adapt to each situation throughout his life, which is part of his charm. After high school, he works for a while in Silicon Valley, where he makes a ton of money, and when those empty feelings overwhelm him, Jordy travels to Latin America on a quest for renewal. From there he goes to Seattle, where he falls victim to a drive-by shooting. He flees across the country to Maine, trying to wake up to life again, and it's only through the interactions with his mother's partner Pat that he succeeds in grabbing a hold of life again. Forbes's novel is connected to her earlier novel, "Alma Rose", but this can be read without reading the previous. Her writing is lively and skilful. This is a beautiful story about finding one's place in the world and in one's family, and about living every experience fully. "Navigating the Darwin Straits" is a perfect example of a book that's an utter joy to read.

This book is one of those novels that are meant to be shared among your dearest friends. It is about circumstance and the intricate connection of coincidents that shape our existance, from the moment we crawled from the sea to who you love in this lifetime.Jordy McNeil is the intelligent, slight-statured and geeky son of an open lesbian in a small farm community. This makes him vulerable indeed to the insults and beatings beloved by so many ignorant bullies everywhere, but he is able to distance himself enough to understand not only his tormentors' mindsets, but to even gain the grudging respect. His life is far from perfect, but he slips through, strengthened by his mother's pragmaticism balanced by her life partner's calm serenity and acceptance. Through all his adventures is a sense of profound responsibility; the need to make a difference somehow, to break free from the norm and yet feel like a part of something bigger than himself.It's impossible to relate the events of Jordy's life without falling prey to sappy feel-good phrases. This books is so much more than that. Just when you know what's going to happen, a new twist comes about. Ms. Forbes manages to flesh out very real characters; Jordy is infinitely likeable without being boring and becomes more complex with age and experience. His life is a quest for meaning and relevance, and his story journeys through the bone-white recesses of Silicone Valley at an enterprising Internet startup company, to the quiet ghost-infested ruins of South American pyramids, to the drenched inner-city streets of Seattle, and beyond. Jordy is cursed, like a few of us, with the need to constantly confirm his meaning and purpose in the universe. Fortunately, while he is introspective, he never comes off as whiney. That's why he is so tragic, this mild boy who turns into a man who feels empty even though he does so much. The title on a whole is satisfying, and the last few chapters so interesting you won't want to put the book down. I won't even try to sum up what happens - just enjoy the twists!I adored this book and will be sure to check out _Alma Rose_, the book preceding this one, which begins the tale of Jordy's future step-mother. This is one talented author, indeed.