The World of Pondside - by Mary Helen Stefaniak (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In a game of life or death, the seniors at Pondside Manor risk it all.

With help from Pondside Manor's quirky, twentysomething kitchen worker Foster Kresowik, resident Robert Kallman creates The World of Pondside, a video game that delights the nursing home's residents by allowing them to virtually relive blissful moments from days long past--or even create new ones.

One-legged Duane Lotspeich is overjoyed when he can dance the tango again. Octogenarian Laverne Slatchek cheers on her favorite baseball team from the stands at Candlestick Park with her beloved husband--who died years ago. Even the overwhelmed Pondside administrator escapes her job by logging into a much more luxurious virtual world.

Robert's game enlivens the halls of Pondside Manor, but chaos ensues when he is found dead, submerged in the pond, still strapped into his wheelchair. If any resident witnessed his death, they're not telling--either covering up or, quite possibly, forgetting. And it's far from clear to anyone--including the police--if the death of this brilliant man, who suffered from ALS, was suicide or murder.

When Robert's video game goes dark, its players grow desperate. The task of getting it back online falls to young Foster, who enlists help from a raucous group of residents and staff. Their pursuit--virtual and real--has unintended consequences, uncovering both criminal activities and the secret plans of Foster's friend Robert. From Pondside Manor, this unlikely bunch of gamers embarks upon an astonishing journey--blissful, treacherous, and unforgettable.

Packed with sharp wit and compassion, The World of Pondside is a rousing, perceptive, and utterly unique novel.

Review Quotes

"[The World of Pondside] is a delight...Frequently funny, sometimes grim, and endlessly readable. The mystery at its center is intriguing, but it is really the characters who carry the reader along as their hopes, disappointments, relationships, and grievances are craftily revealed as the story unfurls."

-- "Iowa Source"

"The World of Pondside delivers what I have always looked for in novels but haven't seen in years and years: the freshness and the lovely sentences and all the funny stuff. The joy of life always finds a way to shine through."

-- "Mike Magnuson, author of Lummox: The Evolution of a Man and The Right Man for the Job"

"An entertaining puzzle of a story with some out-of-the-blue twists and turns, keeping everything tense and exciting!...The nursing home setting felt genuine and authentic. The dialogue is snappy and fun. I recommend The World of Pondside to mystery readers, those who enjoy a technological theme in their fiction, and readers that enjoy plots that feature more mature protagonists."

-- "Fresh Fiction"

"As the story unfolds, readers not only learn of the Pondside residents, we get a very twisty, multifaceted tale. All those unexpected twists were fun, but I most loved the tender, thoughtful depiction of the nursing home residents. The World of Pondside is a lovely character-driven story with a bit of mystery sprinkled on top."

-- "Book Junkie Reviews"

"Funny, heartbreaking, and suspenseful, readers will inhale this smart thriller in one sitting."

-- "Amazon Book Review"

"I devoured The World of Pondside, cover to cover. There was really no way to stop. A mystery pulls us in and carries us while Stefaniak turns us this way and that, peeling back layers, giving us a view of life in a nursing home that we've never seen this close, this personally. Immediately engaging and perfectly phrased in Mary Helen Stefaniak's consummately comic voice, this novel will shake you to your core. There is no turning back once you've opened the cover. It's a wonderful book."

-- "Pete Fromm, author of A Job You Mostly Won't Know How to Do and If Not for This"

"Mary Helen Stefaniak is a heck of a storyteller...She's a skilled spinner of yarns and she populates her fiction with characters who are quirky, memorable, three-dimensional, and all-too recognizable and relatable. The World of Pondside is...not just a mystery novel, nor just a comedy...It is also a reminder of the complexity of each individual, and the compassion each individual is due."

-- "Cedar Rapids Gazette"

"Mary Helen Stefaniak's excellent third novel (and her first mystery), The World of Pondside, takes readers inside the nursing home Pondside Manor, where residents are addicted to an alternate reality video game that allows them to relive the best moments of their lives...The World of Pondside has a bounty of well-drawn and eccentric characters...The nursing home is chaotic and chronically understaffed and Stefaniak skillfully imbues what could be a depressing setting with humor and fun. Foster's search for Kallman's killer is compelling, too, but the true treasure of The World of Pondside is its frank discussion of ALS, aging, and memory."

-- "Mystery Scene"

"Stefaniak has created a world full of quirky characters where nothing is as it seems...This audiobook is perfect for mystery listeners who like a fun story with lots of odd suspects."

-- "Library Journal (audio review)"

"Stefaniak infuses an often forbidding and depressing environment with joy and dignity in this Agatha Christie-esque cyber caper."

-- "Booklist"

"There's so much I love about this novel. It manages that rare feat of being many things at once: funny, endearing, heartbreaking, suspenseful, hopeful, and tragic. Welcome to the world of Pondside Manor nursing home. A real gem of a book that I couldn't put down."

-- "Willy Vlautin, author of The Night Always Comes and Lean on Pete"

"With infinite compassion and great good humor, Mary Helen Stefaniak takes us on a wild, suspenseful ride through a world most of us normally shy away from. A high-tech thriller set in a nursing home, The World of Pondside will cause you to rethink everything you thought you knew about old people and those who care for them. Deeply moving, as heart-poundingly suspenseful as the best video games ... and just plain fun."

-- "Eileen Pollack, author of The Professor of Immortality"