DAK ACKERTHEFIFTH AND THE ETHICS OF HEROISM

Joseph’s novel traces the titular Dak Ackerthefifth’s family history and personal growth as he moves from adolescence to adulthood and pontificates on life’s purpose.

Dak was born to Richard Ackerthefifth, who died under grisly circumstances in the Congo, and Rudy, who was stomped to death by emus. A colorful cast of characters populates Dak’s coming-of-age narrative, which is full of twists and turns. He’s a modern-day hero who first proves his heroism at boarding school, when he saves a peer from falling off a ski lift, and then later as an adult, when he rescues a pregnant woman from a mass shooting. He’s inquisitive about religion and morality, asking at one point, “Do you think there’s hope in love?” Dak leaves college to work “odd jobs” for Isaac Frank, a man who owns property and hassles tenants for late rent. Dak soon meets Esther, Frank’s niece, whose “looks,” “speech,” and “bluntness” enthrall him. As he falls in love with her, Dak becomes ensconced in debates about Judaism and faith, which lead him to grapple with his place in the world and his “effort to be a hero,” which is “simply an effort to be enough.” In unapologetic first-person narration, Joseph paints his protagonist as brassy and painstakingly honest, and he effectively gives readers access to the character’s deepest desires and darkest fears. Joseph also imbues the writing with alliterative lyricism: “Like the reverberation of the red door, like Esther’s soul in mine, I was taken by the swoon I felt every time I entered Esther’s apartment.” Later, the protagonist reflects in metaphors: “The early morning sun was an accordion on my sheets.” As Dak soaks in the world on his hero’s journey, he reconnects with old classmates and various relatives as he attempts to figure out how to react to unexpected hardships.

An epic tale that doesn’t shy away from discussions of the mysteries of life.