Jesse & Elvis

The fanciful first novel by Portland author Vere McCarty posits the unlikely survival of Elvis's twin brother, Jesse, who rescues his aging and bloated sibling from a life of excess and soul-death and restores him to a path of ordinary happiness. Written in a flavorful lingo that mixes regional sass with phonetic readings from the classic songbook, the fast-moving story arrives at a surprising sweetness that touches the heart as it tickles the funny-bone.