It’s 1959 in the little city of Newburgh, and all 11-year-old Louisa (“Louey”) Levy wants to do is listen to rock ’n roll and play ball with her big brother and their pals. It’s an idyllic, small-town life, until that life starts crumbling around her: In the space of just a few months, Louey’s hero, Buddy Holly, is killed in a plane crash; her mother dies; and her father, the city manager, suffers a stroke as he prepares for Newburgh’s 250th anniversary celebration. When she finds her best friend’s teenage sister bleeding in an alley, Louey must quickly – and painfully – learn the meaning of loyalty and courage in the midst of loss.
In the tradition of To Kill a Mockingbird and Dirty Dancing, this touching novel is filled with eccentric, endearing characters, humor, and an exploration of Jewish and American values — all of which Louey needs to pull her through.
Genie Abrams lives and works in the Hudson Valley. Her work has been published in newspapers, magazines and poetry journals; Louey Levy’s Greatest Catch is her first novel. Reach her at www.genieabrams.com.
