Jacob's Advice by Jude Cook - Rajiv's Reviews

Jacob’s Advice by Jude Cook

Release: August 20th 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Unbound
Source: Random Things Tours
Find it at: Amazon, Kindle

Larry Frost, is a British pharmacologist living in Paris He is exuberant,charismatic but dogmatic. He firmly believes he’s Jewish . But his search for his true identity produces more questions than answers.

In early 2015, following the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo, his sceptical older cousin, Nick Newman joins him. As a Divorcee and separated from his son, Nick is desperately trying to understand his own place in the world, Naturally, he draws himself towards Larry as they walk the fractured, uneasy, magical streets of Paris.

Then, in November, terrorism strikes the city again. With Paris and the cousins still reeling from the trauma, Larry receives the information he’s urgently been seeking. A long-held family secret that will change both their lives forever.

Jacob’s Advice is set against a backdrop of extremism, nationalism and the resurgence of antisemitism. It is also a timely exploration of identity, race, family and the inescapable nature of the past.

About the Author:

Jude Cook lives in London and studied English literature at UCL. William Heinemann of Random House published his first novel, BYRON EASY in 2013. He has written for the Guardian, the Spectator, Literary Review, New Statesman.

His essays and short fiction have appeared in The Stockholm Review, The Moth, The Tangerine, The Honest Ulsterman. This includes The Mechanics’ Institute Review, Structo, Storgy, Litro, Long Story Short and Staple magazine.

In 2017,Pin Drop RA longlisted him for the short story award. In 2018 , Leicester Writes shortlisted him for Short Story Prize . Also, he is an editor for The Literary Consultancy, and currently teaches creative writing at the University of Westminster. His second novel, JACOB’S ADVICE, will be published by Unbound in August 2020.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | IMDb | Goodreads

Jacob’s Advice Review:

One word to describe this book: “profound”.

Personally, the highlight of this book was on the various topics that the characters converse on. The author beautifully brings forth his opinions on a plethora of topics. The main theme of the story is identifying yourself in society, and we get a taste of the various perspectives from each character. Nick is a complex fellow as he tries to figure out where he stands in his world and how he feels disconnected. Moreover, I enjoyed Larry’s views on being Jewish and Nadir’s on being a Sikh. It was interesting to how passionate people get when they talk about community and playing their part. Also, the author talks about the controversial world of Drug/Pharmaceutical companies. I have read quite a topics on the same, and I agree with the characters, on how commercial and convoluted the industry has become.

Moreover, the entire backdrop of the story takes places amidst the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris. It’s never easy reading about such experiences, but it fit really well into the overall theme of the story. From a character standpoint, I loved Nicholas, Larry and Jacob. I thought each of them stood out in their own terms, and brought something new to the story. The author also paints the story against the beautiful backdrop of Paris. Hence, there were so many aspects that I just loved about this book. On a side note, I also learned quite a few interesting medical terms like ‘tendinosis’ and ‘immunohistochemistry’.

Even though the story is not plot driven, there is never a dull moment. As a reader, “Jacob’s Advice” was a wonderful experience that made me ponder about life and my role in society. I admire the amount of research and knowledge put into the novel.