The Practical Navigator

June 1, 2016
A single father is at professional, familial, and romantic crossroads simultaneously.Michael Hodge, father to an autistic 7-year-old boy named Jamie, is already stretched thin in his efforts to keep his contracting business afloat and his six-month relationship with Fari, an Iranian-American psychologist, on track. This fragile balance is threatened when his mother, in the early stages of dementia, accidentally burns down her house while she's caring for Jamie and when his estranged wife, Anita, abruptly returns after abandoning their family years earlier. Michael is a former professional surfer whose father drowned; the novel takes its title from The American Practical Navigator and intersperses excerpts from the manual throughout. As a literary device, these excerpts don't quite succeed in adding an extra dimension to the novel or provoking deeper questions; instead, Michael's own coming-to-terms with the ocean as he makes a surfboard for his son serves as an interesting internal narrative entirely on its own. In an attempt to offer insight to all of its characters, the novel at times neglects the more intriguing relationships between Michael and both Fari and Anita, as well as Jamie's relationship with both of his parents. Metcalfe's experience writing movies and plays is on full display in this novel, as its strongest moments are in its powerful short scenes, which shift frequently to offer insight into multiple characters. Yet at times, especially in the beginning, these short scenes also create a sense of choppiness and detachment. Once the novel has provided more background on Michael, Fari, and Anita, the rhythm begins to work with the connections between the characters, and the novel becomes an engaging read.Metcalfe's novel is at its best in portraying everyday moments as the parent of an autistic child.

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from May 15, 2016

Michael Hodge, once a famous surfer, still spends his life slightly off balance, juggling his job as the owner of a small construction company, his life as the son of an aging mother with memory problems, and his role as the single father of a seven-year-old autistic boy, Jamie. Then, his wife, Anita, who walked out years earlier, asks to come back into Jamie's life. Anita herself is fragile, and when under stress turns to pills and alcohol. At the best of times, Jamie has a difficult time coping; when his mother is late picking him up, he crashes. Michael is left to pick up the pieces. Metcalfe (The Tragic Age) deftly tells the story of a man struggling to cope with a life out of control. He carefully compares Michael's life to that of a navigator, in this character-driven, open-ended story filled with awkward, sympathetic characters. VERDICT While authors such as Lisa Genova have written about mothers and their autistic children, readers seldom see the father as caregiver. Those looking for stories with strong, loving father figures will appreciate this book, as will readers of novels dealing with children with autism.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
Raising an autistic son, managing a construction business, and keeping an eye on his increasingly-forgetful mother doesn't leave Michael Hodge time for much else. Sure, he dates a bit, but it's hard to commit to someone when the only woman you've ever loved abandoned you and your son years ago. Michael knows the problems adults can face in the middle of a marriage, but who could leave Jamie? When Anita suddenly comes back into their lives, Michael has to figure out what she wants, what he really wants, and, most important, what's best for Jamie. Set against the surf and sand of San Diego, the story glides across the gentle swells, crashing waves, and stagnant seas of one man's life. Metcalfe takes immense care with Jamie, never treating his autistic quirks and tics as punchlines. This is Metcalfe's first adult novel, and his talent as a screenwriter is evident in every suspenseful scene and exchange of witty dialogue. Fans of Jonathan Tropper and Matthew Norman will enjoy this delightful and sympathetic story of a nontraditional family making its way in the world(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)