The Legend of Juggin Joe

Joseph Yakel
Lulu Press (2005)
ISBN 1411625889
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (4/06)

“The Legend of Juggin Joe” is a tale that is written in author J. Peter Yakel’ s own version of country- speak. His spell checker must have been going crazy as he was writing this piece. This style of writing enables the reader to step into the story and “see” it more vividly. I swear I heard banjoes playing in the background as I read this book!

The story is narrated by “the Stahry Teller,” who is a friend of the family that is never introduced. The adventures begin with Joe’s mischievous antics of his youth in upstate New York. One of the most amusing stories involved an incident with flying squirrels. The story continues with Joe accidentally discovering that he has talent with Juggin. He becomes an international music star and is awarded three gold records. When Joe is in the Army and stationed in Berlin, he gets to play for President Ronald Reagan and his wife. In a style reminiscent of Forest Gump, Joe makes a suggestion to Reagan which leads to the bringing down of the Berlin Wall.

This book is a light, enjoyable read. The style of writing is a refreshing departure from typical fiction. I recommend this book to readers of all ages who enjoy adventurous tales similar to Mark Twain’s Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer stories.

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