Uncle Jack, a novel by James Mulligan

Introducing my first (published) novel, Uncle Jack. It is available on Amazon as a paperback and as a Kindle download.

Uncle Jack, a novel by James Mulligan, available here on Amazon

Book jacket blurb:

When nine year old John O’Conner’s parents die in an auto accident, he moves in with his twenty-seven year old Uncle Jack, a struggling artist. Jack O’Connor lives in a converted barn near the beach in Southampton, NY where he creates his art, and is ill-prepared to care for his nephew. After a series of incidents and rumors, Uncle Jack’s fitness as a guardian is called into question, and John is placed in foster care.

Through the years, as John ages, he observes with growing concern the stormy relationship between his Uncle Jack, a drinker and womanizer, and Grace McCormack, a young heiress with an obvious drug problem. When Grace bears a son, Jack’s life becomes even more complicated. Meanwhile, Jack’s muse and soulmate inspires his greatest work.

John becomes especially protective of Jack’s and Grace’s son, Jackie, who manages to grow into a responsible young man despite his parents’ shortcomings. John’s relations are as complicated as his uncle’s. As a teen, he falls in love with two girls who slip from his life but never his thoughts.

Over the years, the deep love and caring of uncle and nephew form an unbreakable bond with each providing support for the other to surmount family dysfunction and tragedy.

NOW HEAR THIS! (if you haven’t already heard) Belknap College’s Founders Hall has been purchased and is being completely refurbished from the foundation up by a restoration and preservation professional named Mark Haines. I visited with him yesterday at Founders Hall and spoke with him about the College. So, our hopes and prayers that Belknap’s primary building, which we feared would be demolished, will apparently be answered with the rebuilding and reopening in the future as a bed and breakfast and then later, to include a public restaurant. The builder told me he has met with the previous innkeeper and learned about his successful experience. Work on the foundations and other buildings continues. The College library will become 2 units and Jim Sutherland’s former accounting office will be another unit.

The new owner purchased the building from the person who bought it at auction from the NH Music Fair. I told him our alumni will be delighted to hear that the building will be saved and we will again have the opportunity to meet there, visit there and enjoy all the memories that we have of our experiences there.

If you are in the area, feel free to stop by and share updates of the reconstruction.

I posted pictures on the Belknap College facebook page