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Do-Over!

This is essentially the diary of a middle-aged man in the throes of a mid-life crisis: about to become a father for the fourth time, Robin Hemley copes by repeating difficult childhood and young-adult experiences, hoping for a better outcome the second time around. He attends kindergarten & sixth grade, performs in a Christmas play, re-enrolls in summer camp, renews his honorary membership in a fraternity, revisits the prom, and reconnects with his Japanese exchange-student friend. Although most of the tales are mawkish, the introduction of Emily Jean, a bright and talented orphan under the care of Hemley's former English teacher, provides a touching parallel to his own difficult youth. Unfortunately, her story is the only bright spot in 316 pages of solipsism.
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