Einstein's Beach House by Jacob M. Appel

A couple adopt a depressed hedgehog; a mother is seduced by the father of her daughter's imaginary friend; a man kidnap's his ex-wife's turtle. In eight tragicomic stories, Einstein's Beach House features ordinary men and women rising to life's extraordinary challenges.

I watched the documentary “Jacob” with my family, and damn, what a guy. Per the movie synopsis:
“He's a doctor, a lawyer, a bioethicist, a college professor, a licensed New York City tour guide, a poet, a playwright, an award-winning novelist, a devoted son and a true friend. In this upbeat documentary profile meet the most prolific, most accomplished, least boastful person in America.” I mean... he taught creating writing at Gotham City Writers while commuting into NYC from Boston, because he was IN LAW SCHOOL at Harvard. What??

So I thought I would read one of his books of short stories. He's no Raymond Carver but yeah, definitely not bad. They say God doesn't give with two hands; I guess in this case, God gives with ten?

First, I should explain that I received a free copy of this book from the author. However, I would have read the book anyway as it was in my to-read list and feel that my opinion wasn't prejudiced.

Jacob Appel has a talent for fleshing out characters and situations quickly and with what feels effortless. Unlike some reviewers, I enjoy short stories, but particularly when the material is so well-crafted. I cannot point out any stories as my favorite and enjoyed each of them for their own merits. These stories stuck to my ribs yet left me hungry to read more of the author's material.