Aliens, Drywall, and a Unicycle

Aliens, Drywall, and a Unicycle

“Aliens, Drywall, and a Unicycle” by Kevin St. Jarre is a thoughtful examination of regular people trying to navigate the world they have been placed within. As the title suggests, it has a little bit of everything. When Tom Tibbets takes a job at a weekly newspaper in Portage, New Hampshire, he has no idea the transformation that this will create in his own life. As the title would suggest, there is the suggestion of aliens, two brothers who hang drywall, and a man who rides a unicycle to name just a few of the colorful characters in this novel. We follow along as Tom grows into a fuller, richer, human being throughout his time in Portage. It is the people, not the job, that allows him to grow into a greater understanding and appreciation for what being human is all about. St. Jarre creates a town in New Hampshire filled with real people much like Richard Russo does with upstate New York with “Everybody’s and Nobody’s Fool”, and the book and characters are every bit as real and as colorful. This book will keep you riveted to the pages. I would highly recommend this gem.