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Jim Kokoris

Born: N/A
Pen Name: None

Connection to Illinois: Kokoris lives in a suburb of Chicago. He attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

Biography: Kokoris is a novelist and has also contributed humour articles to the ''Chicago Sun-Times'', ''Chicago Tribune'', and ''Reader's Digest'', among other publications.


Awards:

Email: jim@JSHA.com
Website: http://jimkokoris.net
Jim Kokoris on WorldCat : http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=jim+kokoris


Selected Titles

Sister North /
ISBN: 0312275404 OCLC: 52459566

St. Martin's Press, New York : 2003.

Drifting through life on his good looks and his wife's money, apathetic Chicago attorney Sam finds his world shattered by a violent incident and journeys to the side of a television personality nun in the hope of acquiring forgiveness and spiritual peace.

Sister north :
ISBN: 9781429976459 OCLC: 865099444

St. Martin's Press, New York : 2013.

Sam was an indifferent Chicago lawyer content to drift though life on his good looks and his wife's money, until a violent incident shatters his world. Newly addicted to watching Sister North, a nun with a popular TV show, Sam embarks on a trip to Lake Eagleton, Wisconsin to see the wise nun personally, seeking forgiveness and spiritual guidance. When he arrives, he discovers that he has been watching reruns-Sister North has vanished and all sorts of rumors abound. As he waits, wondering if the elusive nun will ever return, he unexpectedly, he falls in love with Meg, a reclusive waitress at the local restaurant. This was not the answer that he was searching for, yet, for the first time in his life, his feelings are genuine. Jim Kokoris, the author of the beloved novel The Rich Part of Life, sensitively and compassionately portrays a remarkable story of forgiveness and hope. Undeniably powerful, Sister North is a novel that takes a poignant and humorous look at what passes for faith and love in the twenty-first century.

The pursuit of other interests /
ISBN: 0312365489 OCLC: 317928777

St. Martin's Press, New York : 2009.

Cast adrift after being abruptly fired, workaholic CEO Charlie Baker is astonished to find his finances in shambles and his son rapidly growing up, a situation he initially denies while spending his days in an outplacement firm.

The pursuit of other interests :
ISBN: 9781429984959 OCLC: 865100811

St. Martin's Press, New York : 2013.

Charlie Baker is a neurotic but charming 50-year-old workaholic CEO of a major Chicago ad agency who seems to have it all: an impressive house in an upscale suburb, an equally impressive salary, the requisite pretty wife and accomplished son. All of this comes crashing down when Charlie is unceremoniously fired. In an instant, his life is transformed from corporate titan to just another out of work American. For Charlie'an admitted workaholic'a world without a job is a strange world indeed. Rather than tell his family, every morning Charlie leaves home to spend his days at an outplacement firm, where he meets a cast of equally desperate corporate misfits. As Charlie reluctantly embarks on a journey of self-discovery, he finds out what happens when his work life is lost and his real life begins. Humorous, poignant, and honest, The Pursuit of Other Interests offers a glimpse into the lives, hearts, and minds of the 21st-century American family.

The rich part of life /
ISBN: 0312300700 OCLC: 45890409

St. Martin's Press, New York : 2001.

First their mother is killed in a car accident, and then, on the first anniversary of her death, their rather distant, Civil War historian father plays his wife's favorite lottery numbers and wins $190 million!

The rich part of life :
ISBN: 9781429976435 OCLC: 865110387

St. Martin's Press, New York : 2013.

Teddy Pappas is an eleven-year-old boy forced into maturity before his time. He lives with his younger brother and their eccentric Civil War historian father, a man more comfortable with discussing Confederate footwear than what kind of day his sons had. Their lives have been quiet for a year since the real lifeblood of their household, Teddy's mother, died in a tragic car accident. On the one-year anniversary of her death, Teddy's stoic father plays his wife's favorite lottery numbers in a tender, uncharacteristic act. When it turns out that the family holds the $190 million winning ticket, their world is instantly transformed. Seemingly overnight, a host of colorful characters demands their attention, including Teddy's hilarious aunt and uncle, a beautiful divorcee, a desperate former soap opera star, and a menacing stranger who threatens the very core of the family. As events spiral out of control, the family struggles to discover what the rich part of life really is. Featuring a unique father-child bond, Jim Kokoris's moving first novel is flavored with the rich characterizations and poignant charm of early John Irving. Creating the perfect balance of humor and pathos, Kokoris takes us on an unforgettable journey through the ups and downs of this revelation of unexpected wealth.

 

 

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