My Search for Jazzbo Jones
by Ethan Hirsh
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Pub Date 4 Jun 2024 | Archive Date 15 May 2024
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Description
Written as a tribute to the unusual, older student he befriended in college, this “real-life memoir adventure” retraces the author’s life as he searches for clues about the horrific crash that blinded his friend many years before they met.
The story weaves keen observation, nostalgia, and humor in its portrayal of Jim Beeson, a colorfully complex character from small-town Kansas who overcame adversity and loss to become an outspoken advocate for the blind in Houston. Even though Beeson and Hirsh differed in age, background, and education, Beeson’s outgoing personality and unlikely mentorship had a lifelong positive impact beyond simply teaching the author about mechanics when they overhauled a 1954 Ford.
Touching on issues of blindness and resilience in the face of tragedy, My Search for Jazzbo Jones includes vivid recollections of personal history and the JFK assassination, civil rights, the Vietnam draft, and even an encounter with Cuba’s Che Guevara. After more than a decade of online detective work, Hirsh ultimately delivers far more raw facts than he ever expected about that fiery wreck on a Wichita racetrack.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
“Ethan Hirsh has given us a soulfully rich and vivid memoir. With its combination of subtle humor and characters, My Search for Jazzbo Jones will connect with readers early on and keep them absorbed to the end. Classic cars, camaraderie, and the coming of age, Ethan’s memoir is inspirational and beautifully written, capturing the essence of a deep friendship and the exhaustive search to find answers.”
-Dr. David W. Carter, author of Mayday Over Wichita
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Available Editions
EDITION | Paperback |
ISBN | 9798891322196 |
PRICE | US$19.99 (USD) |
PAGES | 406 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
In the 1960's when the authors mother decides to give back to the community and in particular give back to the visually impaired community after an encounter at the local VA hospital. When the opportunity comes in the form of reading college textbooks. With the author being at the ripe old age of 15 and being home from boarding school she sees a good match. The author jumps in starts to read textbooks to Jim Beeson also known as Jazzbo Jones who lost his sight in a fiery crash. A friendship starts to develop between a teenage boy and a man who speaks so eloquent that is twice his age. This seems to be a perfect relationship with a young man who needs a few life lessons and man who needs a few books read and occasional ride. Just so happens that Jazzbo has a master mechanics worth of knowledge to pass on for wrenching on vehicles also. As time goes on the author gets a little older and faces many life changes that causes this friendship to drift apart with occasional phone calls. When the author realizes that he does not know much about Jazzbo his curiosity turns into a quest to find out who Jazzbo was and how he lost his sight. This story does drift for a while focused on the authors life adventures remembering that this the times of the Vietnam war, and the Bay of pigs and Che Guevara and loss of President Kennedy but eventually the story comes back around. This is four stars read for me, give it a read and see what you think.