Evison's Inspiring 'Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving'

In<em> </em>Jonathan Evison's <em>The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving</em>, we are introduced to Benjamin Benjamin, a character at the end of his rope. Benjamin has had a rash of bad luck, including the loss of his wife, his family and his livelihood. With no options to speak of, Benjamin enrolls in a class on the fundamentals of caregiving and soon finds himself employed as a caregiver to 19-year-old Trev, a sexually frustrated adolescent in the advanced stages of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.<br /><br />Trev's life is defined by routinelike eating the same thing for breakfast and watching endless hours of the Weather Channelso when the two decide to head out on a road trip to visit Trev's dad, the result is pure bedlam. Along the way the two pick up a fair share of stragglersincluding a pregnant woman, her parolee boyfriend, and a runaway girland endure detours to roadside attractions, elaborate chase scenes, a few brawls and a huge dust storm. <em>The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving</em> is an inspiring tale on life's surprises and the heart's capacity to mend, filled with a perfect blend of humor and sadness. Readers will learn to care about both Trev and Benjamin as the pair struggles to find meaning in lives filled with unasked-for tragedies.<em><br /><br />The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving</em> is Evison's third novel. His previous work, <em>West of Here</em>, was a <em>New York Times </em>best seller and his debut novel, <em>All About Lulu,</em> won critical acclaim, including the Washington State Book Award. Evison will speak at <strong>Boswell Book Co.</strong> on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.