Reviews
Here’s what people think of How I Learned French or Certain Events in the Life of Otto Pulaski.
"An anti-memoir, Otto’s story is grounded in truth and love and risky choices and challenging families, though rarely do facts get in the way. The reader is so much the better for it, traveling along with a grand storyteller who might be telling a whopper. Or maybe not."
—Holly Lorincz, author of the bestselling Crown Heights
“Otto Pulaski’s zany characters sing indeed of real lives. Mix in as foreground the hellscape of a Thanksgiving in a family of divorce and remarriage, and you have the setting of this book. Reader, if you can then grieve with Otto as a philosopher over the anguish of a child bright if not brilliant reaching out for life’s mysteries, then this book is for you. I enjoyed it thoroughly.”
—Jay Zebrowski, former reporter, FORTUNE magazine
“Tag along with Otto Pulaski on an eventful romp through life, from his coming of age to finding the wisdom of age. After a series of deftly recounted (mis)adventures, Otto finally finds his place in the family by offering a type of understanding that his own life’s journey has made possible.”
—Emily Hackett, author of Ghost Years
"A short, endearing tale of one man's linguistic coming-of-age."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Finished book! Couldn’t put it down! Read with headlamp last night! At times I wanted to smack Otto and then he’d say something to make me laugh out loud and I forgave him! Enjoyed the descriptors as well—some bordering on Poetry! The format of weaving in French grammar was very satisfying to this Francophile! You are a really good writer Wayne! I look forward to your next book!"
—Lisa, Cannon Beach, OR
A recent review of CLAVE.
"In Goss’ thriller sequel, a former venture capitalist in Switzerland gets unwittingly entangled with illegal waste disposal and sex trafficking. American Max Stonecrop leads a simple life in Zürich. It should stay that way, as long as no one becomes aware of the violence in his past—namely, his offing of a couple of killers. Max agrees to do a favor for a Swiss cop friend and assist in buying out a woman’s contract with sex traffickers. Max wants to help both the woman, Lomi, and her little sister, but that requires more money. He’ll have to do another favor for that—this time for his girlfriend Federica’s “reformed Bulgarian thug” father Gregor Ratzow. Max, who works as a courier for Gregor, will take part in a shipment to an “e-waste” disposal site where raw materials are extracted from discarded electronics. More specifically, Max will aid in “laundering” the profitable goods. It’s not as easy as it sounds; not only must he work with a dangerously nosy CIA liaison officer, but he must also deal with a menacing figure from his own past. Goss gleefully complicates his protagonist’s life in this follow-up to Red Monkey (2022): Max must care for his teenage daughters while his ex-wife is in Paris on business; it’s revealed that Lomi may be responsible for a recent murder; and Max must interact with a handful of very untrustworthy people. This measured tale ably develops its outstanding supporting cast, from polyglot physician Federica to sleazy embassy rep Harry Chum, who seemingly knows of Max’s earlier crimes. Many of these characters add to the narrative’s unwavering tension, as Max, even with his Glock 19M at the ready, worries that certain people will try to take him out. Passages throughout offer vibrant details; a local barman’s studio apartment, for instance, provides a visual feast, with a case of hunting rifles, classic Italian furniture, and a glass wall displaying a “panoramic view of the Engadine valley.” A taut, compelling, and wonderfully constructed crime story."
—Kirkus Reviews
