The Coward

McGinnis’s promising debut chronicles the experiences of a newly disabled man as he reconnects with his father. The protagonist, also named Jarred McGinnis, is paralyzed by a car accident that took the life of his ex-girlfriend Melissa, who by then was married to another man. Jarred reluctantly returns home to his widowed father, Jack, a recovering alcoholic, and grapples with feelings of depression. Memories of his late mother swirl with his shame about the accident and being disabled, and Jarred deploys some very funny dark humor to combat his pain, such as claiming he was injured while serving in Vietnam, despite being far too young. Jarred eventually finds love with Sarah, who works at a local donut shop, and gets a job, but these positive developments don’t quite get him on solid ground. Jarred’s anguish runs deep, and extended flashbacks to his past—which include a stay in a psychiatric hospital—flesh out his sorrowful character. While McGinnis excavates the harm Jack’s anger caused Jarred as a teen, contemporary scenes such as a touching heart-to-heart show the men as being capable of tenderness. And, as Jarred observes, “a father’s pride is food for any boy.” It’s a bit overstuffed, though McGinnis manages to keep it engaging even during the woolly parts. Overall, this story of healing makes for a worthy debut. Agent: Will Francis, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (Apr.)