By Stephanie Monahan

There’s something wrong with Pat.

He’s 30-something and living with his parents outside of Philadelphia, after being released from what he calls “the bad place.” That place is a mental hospital, and Pat has no memory of why he ended up there or how long he stayed. Now that he’s out, he’s obsessed with three things: working out, the Philadelphia Eagles, and most of all, reuniting with his wife, Nikki.

The Silver Linings Playbook, written by Matthew Quick, who lives in Holden, has definitely come to the forefront lately, with its release on the silver screen, but sometimes, it’s still worth it to read the book.

The story is told simply, through Pat’s point of view. Since Pat doesn’t remember most of the important moments in his life, the reader is completely in the moment with him as he attempts to piece his life back together. Before he can reunite with Nikki ~ which he sees as an inevitable outcome of his reformation, especially his excessive exercise routine (“Nikki likes a man with a developed upper body,” he says) ~ Pat must get his life back in order. That includes taking his medication, going to therapy and staying out of trouble. Pat is so focused on Nikki that he doesn’t let himself think too much about the fact that his mother has removed all photos of Nikki from her house or that he has been forbidden to have any contact with her. Instead, Pat calls this their “apart time” and convinces himself that, one day, they will be together again.

Until then, there’s another woman taking up space in Pat’s life ~ the equally unstable Tiffany, who lives in his neighborhood and begins to follow him on his daily runs. Eventually, Tiffany offers him a deal: She will give Nikki messages for him if he will be her partner in a community dance competition.

The rest of the story is equally as quirky. Pat forms an unusual bond with his therapist, whom he tailgates with at Eagles games; he attempts to heal his broken relationship with his father, who will speak to him only about football and only when the Eagles win; and Pat struggles to understand why, when a Kenny G song comes on the radio, he’s agitated to the point of blacking out.

Pat’s a charming character, an unlikely hero who wants to find a happy ending more than anything. His earnestness is endearing, and it’s easy to root for him to find his silver lining, even ~ or maybe especially ~ if it’s not quite what he expects it to be.

For more information, visit matthewquickwriter.com.