This first novel is narrated by Josh Lipkin, a 16-year-old awash in New York City who calls himself "the first Jewish runaway in the history of the New York, maybe the world." His father, who has failed in a variety of business endeavors, now owns a liquor store and is verbally and physically abusive to his only child. Josh s mother sees life through a vodka cloud and spends her time in front of a television set. Josh, a sensitive soul, sneaks into nursing homes pretending to be kin to lonely, elderly patients who eagerly await his visits. When he is no longer sure what he is going to do next or where he is going to live, Josh meets Manny, a funky, self-sufficient woman in her thirties who is searching for her boyfriend, Patrick. He travels with her to Cape Cod, Patrick s family home, and in the process learns how to cope with his life. Unfortunately, this well-told tale includes some rather deprecating images of Jewish life that detract from the vibrancy of the whole.?Molly Abramowitz, Silver Spring, Md.