The Intersect
Brad Graber, 2016
Dark Victory Press
460 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780997604207
Summary
Set against Arizona’s political and cultural vortex at the start of 2010, The Intersect explores the issues of the day by weaving together the lives of disparate characters striving to survive in a world where the strongest link, and most lasting connection, is made among strangers.
When Dave and Charlie relocate from the Bay Area to Phoenix, tensions ratchet up in their relationship as Charlie insists on buying a house on the grounds of the Arizona Biltmore as Dave contemplates leaving his job.
Daisy, a spry septuagenarian, shows up at their front door after a long convalescence, unaware that her greedy, Michigan relatives, Jack and Enid, have already sold her home. Charlie assumes the older woman is Dave’s distant aunt and happily ushers her into a guest room.
Meanwhile, across town, Anna, a gifted psychic who channels the dead, is concerned about her neighborhood. She hires a handyman to install motion-detectors, unaware that Ernie has entered the United States illegally from Mexico as a child.
When Henry, a homeless gay teen, attempts to rob Anna, Ernie intervenes and a melee ensues. The police mistakenly arrest Ernie, leading to his deportation. And so begins The Intersect as relationships unravel, secrets are revealed, love blossoms, and injustice leads to a thrilling climax. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—New York, New York, USA
• Education—B.A., State University of New York-Buffalo; M.H.A., Washington University
• Currently—lives in Phoenix, Arizona
Brad Graber was born and raised in New York City. He obtained a B.A. in Biology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and an M.H.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
As a healthcare executive, Brad has held a number of management positions over the years. He’s lived in Highland Park, a suburb of Chicago; West Bloomfield, a suburb of Detroit; and Mill Valley, a suburb of San Francisco. Brad currently resides in Phoenix on the grounds of the Arizona Biltmore with his long-term spouse and their dog Charlie.
Brad is formerly a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and Certified Medical Executive through Medical Group Management Association. He no longer works in healthcare though he does continue to actively volunteer with local non-profit organizations.
He is currently working with Duet, transporting seniors to their medical appointments. He also takes a blind senior grocery shopping every two weeks. The Intersect is Brad’s debut novel.
Visit the author's website.
Book Reviews
For additional reviews, see Amazon Customer reviews.
Beautifully told by Brad Graber...I found myself thinking that I was one of the characters and interacting with those around me. It was really only when I closed the book that I really realized that I had only been reading.
Reviews by Amos Lassen
Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think the author named the novel The Intersect?
2. Were you surprised by the turn in Charlie and Dave’s relationship? What clues did the author provide along the way? What challenges do you think couples face as they go through a major life change? Do you think these stresses are experienced differently by gay and straight couples?
3. How did Charlie and Dave’s personality traits contribute to their relationship issues? Did you find it enlightening to have a glimpse into a gay relationship? Was there anything about that relationship which surprised you?
4. When Daisy breaks a hip, she finds herself struggling, afraid of becoming a permanent resident of a long-term care facility. What key factors make Daisy most vulnerable? How have her choices led to her present circumstances? How does she overcome these choices? Are there seniors living in your community who might be at-risk for experiences similar to Daisy’s? Are you aware of the support services that reach out to isolated seniors?
5. Jack and Enid are new to Arizona. How are the tensions in their marriage manifested in their relationship? Are these tensions the same for Charlie and Dave? What is the difference between these two couples and how they approach life together?
6. Jack struggles to see clearly what is happening to Daisy. How does this parallel his struggles? How do his experiences with Enid, Daisy, and Bonnie move his character along an arc of growth? Is Jack a victim or merely ignorant?
7. Bonnie has a pattern of failed relationships. What characteristics does she possess that explain her inability to connect? Do you think she’s like many women in their late-thirties who are career-driven and remain unmarried or in unattached relationships? What will it take to get Bonnie to make a commitment to a relationship?
8. Anna opens her heart to Henry, yet later in the novel, remains in Mexico with Ernie. Do you think she’s abandoned Henry? How can you explain this conflict in her character? Why does she remain unaware of Henry’s challenges?
9. There are clues throughout the novel about Ernie and his background. Did you catch them? Did you feel empathy for Ernie? Were you surprised by the final twist? What do you think the author is saying about undocumented immigrants who are raised in the United States?
10. The author shares the backstory on many of the characters in the novel. Whose backstory did you find the most compelling—Enid’s, Ernie’s, Daisy’s, or Jack’s childhood? How did their childhoods contribute to each character’s experience as an adult?
11. Henry struggles with his identity. Have you known a family that has trouble accepting their gay child? What about Henry’s struggle keeps him from sharing with Anna? What is it about Henry that makes him particularly vulnerable?
12. At the end of the novel, Charlie and Dave’s dynamic changes. Do you think it takes a trauma before we shift how we think about the direction of our own life?
13. Which character most closely touched your heart? Which character reminded you of someone in your own life? Which character would you have liked to learn more about?
14. The novel is set in Phoenix. What was your impression of Arizona before reading the book? Has that impression changed? Has the book made you want to visit Phoenix?
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