One Last Thing Before I Go

July 23, 2012
In Tropper’s latest comic novel (after This Is Where I Leave You), 44-year-old Drew Silver, the washed-up drummer for one-hit wonders the Bent Daisies, refuses lifesaving surgery to fix a torn aorta—he realizes, after all, “that the lives of everyone close to him seem to improve dramatically once they leave him behind.” Eight years ago, Silver’s band hit it big, he behaved badly, and his wife, Denise, filed for divorce. He has never forgiven himself for losing his family, and since the split, he has languished by the Jersey Turnpike in an efficiency hotel and drummed his life away at weddings and bat mitzvahs. To make his imminent demise even worse, it’s just weeks before Denise remarries (Silver’s doctor), and Silver’s Princeton-bound, 18-year-old daughter, Casey, reveals that she’s pregnant. Silver has decided to let nature run its course, but a ministroke leaves him unwittingly voicing his desire to “Be a better man,” sparking a joint effort to reunite their family. Though Silver’s charm doesn’t translate on the page, Tropper fans can rest easy—plans are in the works to bring Silver to the silver screen.

October 29, 2012
Drew Silver’s life hasn’t quite turned out the way he expected. He’s divorced, plays in a wedding band despite onetime musical stardom, and—to top it off—he’s got a pregnant teenage daughter. But rather than try to solve all of his problems, Silver opts to live the rest of his life to the absolute fullest and make peace with himself. John Shea, who delivers an understated reading that perfectly captures the heart of Trooper’s tale, skillfully narrates this heartbreaking and emotional journey. Shea’s Silver is resolute yet fragile. His narration is simple and straightforward, but also demonstrates the narrator’s ability to modulate his voice to capture a variety of emotions. A Dutton hardcover.