Review
"A satisfying, hysterical page-turner that will captivate fans of travel writing and family narratives, with special interest for anyone who's helped a love one through serious illness." --Publishers Weekly (* Starred review)
"A satisfying, hysterical page-turner that will captivate fans of travel writing and family narratives, with special interest for anyone who's helped a loved one through serious illness." (starred review) --Publishers Weekly
"I really loved this story, on the edge of my seat. Simply too good to miss!" --The Book Chick
"Illustrates what is important about life. A must read." --Villisca Reads
"Side-splitting." --The San Antonio Express News
"'LARRY'S KIDNEY' delivers." --New York Daily News
"Skillful, funny, fascinating." --New York Observer
SHELF AWARENESS
The subtitle seems to say it all: Being the True Story of How I Found Myself in China with My Black Sheep Cousin and His Mail-Order Bride, Skirting the Law to Get Him a Transplant--and Save His Life. What it doesn't say is how funny and warm and outrageous Larry's Kidney is. The escapade begins when Daniel Rose's long-lost cousin calls after several decades of silence to ask if he'll go on a jaunt to China for Larry's kidney transplant and possible marriage (Larry is always ready to save money by combining two tasks). Why Daniel? He's the only person left who would answer Larry's phone call; Larry takes "black sheep" to a new level:
"Mad? You mean, for ratting me out to the FBI that time, telling them I'd inflated my income on a condo mortgage application, which you specifically advised me to do because you needed the commission?"
"I was upset, Dan. I'm not proud of it."
And that's mild compared to the fatwa Larry issued against Cousin Burton.
Now Larry, scammer, operator, finagler par excellence, needs help, because he can't wait years for a transplant in the U.S. However, there's one small glitch to getting a transplant in China: it's illegal for a Westerner. But loopholes are Larry's bread and butter, so he's confident his plan will work.
Dan heads to Beijing, soon discovering that any success they will have depends on guanxi--connections, personal relationships under the radar. Larry, meanwhile, looking like death chewing on a cracker, is ensconced in a hotel armed against the cuisine with a suitcase full of Girl Scout cookies, and armed against the dirt with a cleaning woman, who turns out to be Mary, his mail-order fiancΓ©e. As Larry spins his life story and his current plans, Daniel is frazzled from jet-lag and dazzled by Larry's spiel: "I'm held captive by a snake charmer . . . There's a certain relief in surrendering to such masterful manipulation . . . God help me. I'm joining the cult of Larry."
And so the search is on for the clandestine kidney. Dan starts by e-mailing anyone he can think of who might have even a tenuous lead, while Larry undergoes dialysis and subsists on cookies and Coke. Finally at an expat Sabbath service, Chinese guanxi and Jewish guanxi intersect in the Australian owner of a surgical instrument company, and Dr. X is found in an industrial city of little charm that is also a center for exceptional hospitals. Aiding and abetting the trio is the lovely Jade, a waitress who volunteers to help them as they move "their little opera" to Shi. Shi has breathtaking (literally) pollution--"Beijing's vaporized Frappuccino was impressive, but this is something to stand in awe of . . . An ivory-gray effluvium stops your vision after two blocks out or five stories up." This will be home for weeks.
Rose's writing is by turns hyperbolic and hallucinatory as he deals with the outlandish situation and his wacky cousin. Sometimes slapstick, sometimes caustic, Larry's Kidney is also sweet and thoughtful as Daniel finds himself improbably falling in love with China.--Marilyn Dahl, shelfawareness.com Shelf Talker: A hilarious story about two cousins in China, one searching for a kidney and true love, the other aiding and abetting. --shelfawareness.com (marilyn dahl) may 8, 2009
When his estranged cousin Larry calls to say he's dying of kidney disease, author Rose doesn't know what to think; grimly determined, Larry makes Rose an unlikely recruit in his quest for an illegal kidney transplant in China. Along the way to finding a mail-order bride, falling in love with an alien country and saving Larry's life, the duo experience extreme culture shock, flirt with espionage and discover unimaginable qualities in each other. Rose's rhythms and comic timing, particularly in dialog with his cousin, will keep readers laughing throughout, even when they're crying. While they dance around the morality of their errand, the crux of the travelogue is two old friends learning to reconcile for a life-saving adventure in a foreign world. A satisfying, hysterical page-turner, this will captivate fans of travel writing and family narratives, with special interest for anyone who's helped a love one through serious illness. (starred review) --Publishers Weekly, April 13, 2009 (starred review)
This book is a side-splitting tour de force that whisks readers off to China on a quest to get a transplant for the author's cousin Larry. Second-time memoirist Rose recounts their exploits with an insuperable wit that will appeal to readers who crave unrelenting humor. In a more serious vein, Larry's challenging journey to China will resonate with readers who are rightfully concerned about the plight of American patients who may be relegated for years to an organ transplant waiting list. -- Library Journal, May 1, 2009
Review
This book is a side-splitting tour de force that whisks readers off to China on a quest to get a transplant for the author's cousin Larry. Second-time memoirist Rose recounts their exploits with an insuperable wit that will appeal to readers who crave unrelenting humor. In a more serious vein, Larry's challenging journey to China will resonate with readers who are rightfully concerned about the plight of American patients who may be relegated for years to an organ transplant waiting list.
"A side-splitting tour de force that ... will resonate with readers concerned about the plight of American patients who may be relegated for years to an organ transplant waiting list."
"Elegantly written and deeply moving, it passes the laugh-out-loud test with flying colors. A classic contribution to the annals of cross-cultural comedy."
"Great, madcap fun. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll be sorry when the adventure is over. And you won't forget these two, or those funny-talk China people."
"Uproarious and poignant, but also a simple tribute to family love. A romp of a book, surprisingly moving."
"Well worth the read, both for entertainment and for food for thought."
"This is one of those rare books that make you laugh, make you think, and maybe even teach you a thing or two. It made me fall in love with China's people and appreciate my own family."