In Search of Good Times

By: Victor Rook

Narrated by: Andrew Pond

Joseph Manley, a blue-collar worker from Idaho, loses his job during the 2009 economic recession. A strange turn of events sets him off on a road trip to seek out the fictional sitcom families from Good Times and All in the Family.

Haunted inns, abandoned houses, catastrophic weather, quirky couples, gangs, hippies, soldiers, loving dads, strong mothers — even an intuitive stray dog await Joe on his journey. This adventurous tale about a disenchanted man longing for a happier life in a simpler time is also a story about loss, forgiveness, and how the many random lives we encounter each day affect each other. Will he find the Evans and Bunker families — or something else?"

©2013 Victor Rook (P)2021 Victor Rook

Absolutely wonderful tale of a personal quest

In Search of Good Times by Victor Rook was the best book I’ve read/listened to in a long time. The author skillfully weaves cultural references into Joe’s cross-country quest to find the 1970’s sitcom families. I think I even heard a quote from the Wizard of Oz movie when a woman Joe meets quickly moves on. The description of the characters are believable and the places along the journey are realistic and true to life. Learning Joe’s life story helps make clear why these characters are so important to him and how things came full circle. The narrator, Andrew Pond, was also great in his portrayal of the characters. His voices for all the unique characters added to my enjoyment of the book. It is a poignant, funny and thought-provoking book that I thoroughly enjoyed.