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Don't Stand Under the Coconut Tree
Paperback
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Publisher: Willowbank Books
Pages: 316
Weight: 0.93
Height: 0.66 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Lonny Day's life falls apart overnight.
A wildly successful comedian and celebrity impersonator famous for his uncanny JFK routine, Lonny suddenly finds himself blamed - absurdly, passionately, and perhaps spiritually - for the death of the man who made him famous. When his devastated wife disappears, leaving behind only a cryptic goodbye note, Lonny is thrust into a chaotic cross-country search through the strange underbelly of 1960s America.
Set against the smoky casinos of Las Vegas, shadowy backrooms, Hollywood excess, Hawaiian health spas, and a rapidly unraveling American dream, Don't Stand Under the Coconut Tree is a darkly comic literary odyssey packed with mobsters, hustlers, conspiracy theorists, show business eccentrics, wealthy lunatics, and encounters that become increasingly surreal as Lonny spirals deeper into confusion and desperation.
Narrated in Lonny's fast-talking, self-deluded, deeply human voice, the novel explores fame, guilt, reinvention, love, and the strange stories people tell themselves in order to survive. William P. Wood blends razor-sharp satire with heartfelt absurdity, creating a novel that feels part noir comedy, part fever dream, and part elegy for a version of America that vanished forever in November 1963.
As Lonny searches for his missing wife - and perhaps for some remaining piece of himself - he collides with bizarre characters, escalating dangers, and a world that suddenly no longer knows whether to laugh.
From the neon glow of Las Vegas to the tropical allure of Maui, Lonny's journey takes him through a landscape populated by mobsters, eccentric billionaires, dreamers, grifters, and people every bit as lost as he is. Along the way, he must confront not only the mystery of his wife's disappearance but also the uncomfortable truth about who he is when the spotlight fades and the applause stops.
Equal parts hilarious, tragic, satirical, and unpredictable, Don't Stand Under the Coconut Tree is a wildly original journey through celebrity culture, grief, paranoia, and post-JFK America. Perfect for readers who enjoy literary dark comedy, sharp social satire, unforgettable characters, and stories that find surprising humanity amid the absurd.
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