I’m sure you have all heard stories about two couples who feel they would be better off and/or have more in common if they switched partners. Well, hold on to your seats because that is what Sheldon is up to!
Sheldon grew up in a close relationship with his mother, a single mom. His mother taught him “everything” there is to know in life! He is hearing impaired and half-Jewish. He loved baseball. It’s not that he didn’t like football but there was a problem because football is a game where you need to hear the whistle. When Sheldon’s mom was pregnant, she caught a bad cold and as a result, Sheldon ended up with a hearing loss in his right ear. That was pretty much the end of any hopes of playing football.
Sheldon became a pitcher in the major leagues and then held the same position in a minor league. After his baseball career, he and his mother owned a bar.
During his baseball career Sheldon married Eleanor. They had a daughter. Sheldon was not happy in his marriage. His best friend, Tom is married to Lucy. When Sheldon is around Lucy he seems to feel much happier. After all, Tom does not really appreciate Lucy because he is “running around” on her. Another thing that bothered Sheldon is his wife’s actions to his hearing loss. Sheldon did not know that at first Eleanor did not make fun of his disability but actually tried to protect him from those who did poke fun at him. However, as Eleanor became unhappier in their marriage, Sheldon felt she focused on his lack of hearing as a way to “jab the knife of unhappiness”.
Sheldon comes up with what he considers a great idea. He and Tom should swap partners!
The reader will not know what actually took place during the swap or how it really happened. There is a very interesting epilogue that brings the reader up-to-date on what happens to each character after the swap. I really enjoyed this section because it was interesting to see how the “swap” worked out for some and not so well for others.
Sam Moffie shows us that he really has a great sense of humor, an imagination that is very creative and the will to make the readers laugh. There are many situations in this book that will make you laugh out loud such as the “bedwetting story”. I won’t go into the details because it will spoil the story for you but you will surely have a good laugh. Sheldon’s mother is a movie buff and the reader will enjoy the way she incorporates what she is about to say in relation to a movie she has seen.
The author does an excellent job portraying his characters. This book is divided into four chapters dedicated to each character – Sheldon, Lucy, Tom and Eleanor. The one that stands out most in my mind is Sheldon’s mother. Sam Moffie’s descriptions of her and the relationship she and Sheldon have with each other will make you feel like you really know her after reading this book. In fact, the author gives you detailed information about each character and holds nothing back.
Swap has plenty of reading involving baseball and sex. Don’t let the sex part, along with some explicit language, scare you off. When you read this book you will see that if everything is taken into context, the references to this subject really go along with the story and are there to make it more of a fun read.
We all need a good laugh now and then, so I recommend that you buy a copy of Swap . You will find it a very entertaining read.
Swap By Sam Moffie
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