|
An unforgettable first novel about
silence, family, and the imperative of love.
Howard Kapostash has not spoken in thirty
years. Ever since a severe blow to the head during his days
in the Army, words unravel in his mouth and letters on the
page make no sense at all. Because of his extremely limited
communication abilities-a small repertory of gestures and
simple sounds-most people think he is disturbed. No one understands
that Howard is still the same man he was before enlisting,
still awed by the beauty of a landscape, still pining for
his high school sweetheart, Sylvia.
Now Sylvia is a single mom with troubles
of her own, and she needs Howard's help. She is being hauled
into a drug rehab program and she asks Howard to care for
her nine-year-old son, Ryan. The presence of this nervous,
resourceful boy in Howard's life transforms him utterly. With
a child's happiness at stake, communication takes on a fresh
urgency, and the routine that Howard has evolved over the
years-designed specifically to minimize the agony of human
contact-suddenly feels restrictive and even dangerous. Forced
out of his groove, Howard finds unexpected delights (in baseball,
in work, in meals with his housemates). His home comes alive
with the joys, sorrows, and love of a real family. But these
changes also open Howard to the risks of loss and to the rage
he has spent a lifetime suppressing.
Written with a luminous simplicity and
grace, The Ha-Ha follows Howard down his difficult
path to a new life. It is a deeply moving and unforgettable
story about the cost of war and the infinite worth of human
connection.
Dave King holds a BFA
in painting and film from Cooper Union and an MFA in writing
from Columbia University. He has been published in The
Paris Review and Big City Lit, and he has been
nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He lives in New York.
|
