Book review: Jonathan Tropper novel makes us root for the little guy

Jonathan Tropper's One Last Thing Before I Go is a heartfelt story about a man who has lost all hope. While the subject matter is dark and somewhat controversial, Tropper's word choices are so perfect, and often so funny, that you'll find yourself quickly immersed in the plot and rooting for the characters.

Drew Silver is a 44-year-old man who decides that his best days are behind him. Divorced, and the father of an 18-year-old daughter he barely sees or knows, Silver is a has-been musician who plays in wedding bands and lives in an apartment building called the Versailles, inhabited by other divorced men with little to live for.

One day, Casey, Silver's daughter, shows up at the Versailles and tells him she is pregnant. Soon after, Silver finds out he has a life-threatening heart disorder but refuses to have life-saving surgery, deciding that he will spend his remaining days being a better father, a better man and falling in love.

One Last Thing Before I Go is one of those books you read and can easily picture as a Hollywood film. In fact it has been optioned by Paramount Pictures, but read the book before the movie comes out. You won't be disappointed.

* Ellen Fortini