You Are What You Are (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781736197301)

This novel tells the story of Gabe whose special love is music, particularly jazz and who is living in a small town in Kansas with his Mother. She has never recovered, also Gabe, from being abandoned by his Father when he was very young. Gabe is writing a jazz musical created around the music of the American superstar Judy Garland and the talents of the English composer Noel Coward and this is what helps to keep him from becoming too emotionally drained. His Mother then unexpectedly dies and Gabe discovers part of a letter left by his Father and so feels compelled to travel to Chicago to search for him. Gabe has no knowledge or even a memory of him and only has the name of a bar called The Two Rivers where he might be located, but he is desperate to find out why he left them. He also has to leave his girlfriend Maisie who loves him passionately but Gabe feels unable to commit to her.

Gabe doesn't know until much later when it is shockingly revealed that his fate is tied up with a young Mexican whose Father also abandoned him but for very different reasons, causing him to become crazy with his own grief.

Gabe feels totally lost and doesn't know what he can do to turn his life around and he falls too quickly in love with 'the dancer' a woman he meets in a Chicago park.

A series of conflicting events take Gabe into an emotional labyrinth before the story of his Father's past life is revealed. He is then presented with even greater challenges until he finally and painfully learns what had happened to him and his Mother all those many years ago. The revelations are totally overwhelming and affect everyone else with whom he is involved in this tumultuous journey to discover the truth.

Gabe's story is painfully revelatory but ultimately uplifting and totally inspirational.