I will be signing copies of The Boy Next Door from 11 am to 3 pm at the Valparaiso Barnes and Noble on August 22.
The Boy Next Door
“A Kiss. A Scandal. A Lifetime of Consequences”
My coming-of-age novel, The Boy Next Door, has been released by Atmosphere Press. The Boy Next Door tells the story of a young man mourning the loss of his father and fearing he will never be able to live up that father’s heroic legacy.
Don Hathaway, 17, finds solace in his friendship with the 25-year-old Alice Roland. Alice is the sister of Don’s friend, Jay, and she teaches in their high school. Alice has lost someone also, and she provides comfort that helps Don deal with his mourning.
Their friendship is somewhat complicated when Don ends up in Alice’s English class in his last semester in high school. Despite some awkwardness, Don does well in her class. Alice encourages him to study journalism in college.
As the last day of school ends, Don visits Alice in her classroom. He kisses Alice, and tells her, “I’m not sorry I did that.” To which Alice replies, “I’m not sorry you did that either.”
The school principal doesn’t see it that way. She finds out about the little intimacy and fires Alice for having a relationship that most think violates all professional ethics. Don is outraged at what he thinks is an injustice as he describes Alice as the best teacher he has ever had. His opinion is ignored. Alice does recover by getting a job in the neighboring town of Pines.
In the second half of the novel, Don gets a job as a reporter in a small newspaper in Pines Meanwhile, Alice publishes a novel called The Boy Next Door. The book is based on her relationship with Don.
Alice has a successful local book signing that Don covers. His glowing story lead people to believe he is the boy next door. Don refuses to deny or confirm the rumor.
A local activist works to ban Alice’s book from the high school. How can the school have a book about a romance between an older woman with a younger man when it is written by a teacher? Don and Alice work overtime to cover up the reality of the classroom kiss. They succeed in protecting their reputations, but Alice’s book is banned. Don will later maintain that the spirit of Alice’s book will never be banned.
This coming-of-age story examines relationships and how one is misjudged. Alice’s principal thought the Don-Alice romance was inappropriate, and she was right in a large sense. What she didn’t realize was that Alice and Don were strongly drawn to one another by tragedy, and they saved each other from a complete and total emotional collapse.
Author Dan Helpingstine
Bringing history, mystery, and imagination to life—one story at a time.
Storytelling has been at the heart of my life for more than 50 years. From my earliest days writing about sandlot baseball games to working as a reporter and publishing short stories, writing has always been my calling. Along the way, I discovered a passion for chronicling the history of the Chicago White Sox, resulting in six books—including my latest release White Sox Redemption – The Road to the World Series Victory in 2005, which celebrates the team’s long-awaited championship season.
Beyond baseball, I love creating stories that entertain and surprise. I’ve published mysteries and am currently developing new novels, including the coming-of-age tale The Boy Next Door and Partners and Ghosts, a unique blend of science fiction and human drama with a sequel already in the works. Whether I’m exploring the legacy of America’s pastime or crafting suspenseful fiction, my goal is to bring readers stories that stay with them long after the last page.
