Fiction Pick of the Week: The Master of Happy Endings

The Master of Happy Endings by Jack Hodgins 2010

Who doesn’t like a novel with a happy ending ? When the writer is Jack Hodgins one of Canada’s finest writers who has won many awards including the Governor General’s Award, you can settle down for a compelling read.

Aging is something that we all face. Retired high school teacher, Axel Thorstad, at the age of 77 lives alone on an island off the coast of British Columbia. He still has the urge to offer his services as a tutor and runs an ad in the newspaper. The job he accepts takes him on an adventure with a teenage actor whose parents insist the boy study for exams while preparing for his role in a T.V. series. As soon as Axel is hired, he is informed the tutoring will take place on the set in Hollywood. So begins an exciting life in L.A. far removed from his shack and lonely life in British Columbia. Axel meets an old flame who is now a Hollywood legend and she helps him uncover the details of the mysterious disappearance and death of his father who was a stuntman in L.A. years before he was born.
Thorstad is a man for whom new challenges beckon as the urge to help others draws him closer to more adventures in his life.