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2018 IPPY Bronze Medal Winner in Young Adult Fiction
“Fans of Matthew Norman and Jonathan Tropper will enjoy this immersive and heart-opening novel.”
—Booklist
“In this funny, fresh, heartwarming debut novel, Bahar takes us back to a formative time and place, the late ’70s, early ’80s, when the sound of possibility was coming through the speakers of every dashboard, and introduces us to Ron, our hapless, earnest, lovelorn hero, struggling to come of age against the pressures to honor his Jewish heritage―in the Midwest.”
―Nicola Kraus, best-selling coauthor of The Nanny Diaries
“A humorous, smart, and engaging portrait of one boy’s coming of age in 1980s Nebraska, The Frontman takes the reader on a rollicking rollercoaster of teenage ups and downs, with all the thrills, fears, ecstasies, and agonies that entails. You’ll ride along with Ron as he tries to balance the hopes and wishes of his immigrant parents against his own―all the while rooting for him to finally make it work with the girl of his dreams.”
―Josh Reims, television writer and executive producer of ABC’s Mistresses
“In the tradition of Philip Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint, The Frontman is a fresh, musical look at faith, family and fidelity through the lens of a first generation Jewish protagonist. Ron Bahar’s debut novel is hilariously funny and gut-wrenchingly emotional (you’ll have to read the book to understand that).”
―Ed Decter, screenwriter of There’s Something About Mary
“Imagine being the only Jewish high schooler in Lincoln, Nebraska. In Ron Bahar’s semi-autobiographical debut novel, he shares his unconventional coming of age story and the result is a delightful mix of heart, wit, and hilarious insights. Growing up in a culture of rules and order, we are quickly engrossed in Ron trying to manage the expectations of his parents while being true to himself, and in the process, discovers who he really is and what he really wants. It’s a celebration of family relations, the healing power of music, and identity.”
―Holly Bario, President of Production, DreamWorks Studios
“No one makes me laugh the way Ron Bahar does―it’s been happening since we were writing sketches together in junior high school and continues to this day. Ron has this uniquely intelligent, honest, hilarious take on life that I’ve always admired and tried to emulate. He’s got a way of finding the funny while making himself vulnerable which makes you laugh and care at the same time. That rare combination of heart and hilarity is executed masterfully in his writing of The Frontman, an honest and, at times, heartbreaking look at the time in our lives when we’re trying to figure out who we are and what we stand for.”
―Mark Gross, comedian, writer/producer, CBS television
“Bahar wields biting humor like a sword, skewering everything from the trials and tribulations of growing up to rock ’n’ roll and the expectations of parents and peers.”
—Kirkus Reviews
