Chuckerman Makes a Movie

2019 International Book Awards, Winner, Fiction: Religious 2019 International Book Awards, Finalist, Best New Fiction 2018 Foreword Indies Winner in Adult Fiction--Humor 2018 Winner, Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year Award Fall book pick by the LA Times, Denver Post, and NY Daily News "Dickman's debut novel is witty and observant throughout, and she packs her prose with sensory detail. A funny, romantic story." --Kirkus Reviews "Art imitates life in Chuckerman Makes a Movie, a laughter-inducing novel of nostalgia and self-discovery." --Foreword Reviews, 5 star review "With snappy dialogue and a witty collection of characters, Dickman's debut is utterly enjoyable." --Booklist "Chuckerman Makes a Movie is an endearing, comic novel full of love and family dysfunction. Its characters are so alive they might as well, for better or worse, be standing in your living room. By interweaving Chuckerman's screenplay with his life, Francie Arenson Dickman cleverly blends the past with the present and coming-of-age with romantic comedy. The result is a truly original debut novel--a story that is multi-layered, multi-generational and downright hysterical. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll never want to leave your front row seat as the delightful drama unfolds." --Dylan Massin, television director and producer of NBC's Parenthood "Thoughtfully narrated and with a split-screen storyline, Chuckerman Makes A Movie is a unique coming of age tale told through the lens of a film-writing class. Quick-paced, witty, and well-executed, Francie Arenson Dickman's debut novel weaves together a series of flawed and honest relationships, both past and present, with the kind of mastery one would expect from a seasoned best-selling author." --Randi Olin and Lauren Apfel, executive editors of Motherwell Magazine "Francie Arenson Dickman has crafted a quietly beautiful love story about the relationships that matter most, spanning decades and stretching from 1970s Florida to the early 2000s New York. At the center is David 'Chuckerman' Melman, a mid-30s fragrance king whose sisters think has an unnatural relationship with his grandfather's classic Caddy. It's in this behemoth of a car that the story begins and ends. But it's the in-between that will draw you in. The book's colorful character development, under the guise of a screenplay, makes for an entertaining and even touching read. If I could recommend it as a beach read, I would -- instead, it'll have to go on the Fall 2018 Getting Hygge With It list. A great page turner for a long weekend!" --Bookblogger LitzyDitz: Books Without the BS "I enjoyed Francie Arenson Dickman's Chuckerman Makes a Movie immensely. Not only does Chuckerman (AKA David Melman) try and make a movie, he makes a book, a damn good one, funny, full of great energy, serious without, thank god, taking itself too seriously. And best of all it's chock full of family stories, the stories who make us who we are--whether we pull off the movie or not." --Peter Orner, author of Am I Alone Here? "Francie Arenson Dickman's strikingly original debut novel, Chuckerman Makes a Movie, seamlessly glides between David Melman's past and present though a witty, nostalgic screenplay, a charming, thought-provoking love story, and a big, beautiful 1977 Cadillac. The author's humorous and disarming storytelling will not only have readers immediately rooting for Melman as the protagonist of what is, at its core, a romantic comedy, but it will also offer them a fresh, funny, and sneakily allegorical take on the important relationship between interfaith dating and coming-of-age. A fantastic read." --Ron Bahar, MD, author of The Frontman