Christina and the Whitefish
It’s 1994. Christina, a young Gulf War veteran wrecked by war and tragedy, seeks redemption in Asbury Park, the seaside mecca of her childhood. It’s a place well past its prime… and now reigned over by the self-proclaimed King of Asbury Park: The Whitefish—a disabled Vietnam-era vet, tavern owner, and all around oddball philosopher. It’s here, on the Jersey shore, that a chance meeting leads to a profound and life-altering connection.
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Description
Description
It’s 1994. Christina, a young Gulf War veteran struggling with PTSD and the loss of both parents, drives cross-country in a borrowed car, desperately seeking relief and redemption in Asbury Park, the seaside mecca of her childhood. It’s a place well past its prime and reigned over by the self-proclaimed King of Asbury Park: The Whitefish—a disabled Vietnam vet, tavern owner, artist, and philosopher. It’s here, on the Jersey shore, that a chance meeting leads to a profound and life-altering connection.
Rewind to the eighties: two girls, best friends, falling in love was something to be kept secret. Reaching adulthood, Christina and Jaime move to Las Vegas to escape prejudice and build a new life. Unable to cope with her parents’ deaths and convinced she’s doing the right thing for herself and her country, Christina enlists in the U.S. Army, only to find herself racked by a further and compounding wartime trauma.
“Christina and the Whitefish” is a powerful novel that questions the conventional treatment and care methods veterans receive in an inadequate, pharmaceutical-driven system, bringing to light just how critical human connection is to wellbeing and survival. “Christina and the Whitefish” asks tough questions about how to love and when to leave, questions that reveal a critical truth: family can be birthed from circumstance. And then, even in the pain and the stumbling, if you don’t give up—keep seeking and moving toward something better—friends and healing will find you—and love, no matter how battered, can endure even the darkest of times.
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Reviews (8)
8 reviews for Christina and the Whitefish
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I simply love this novel. Stephen Vittoria skillfully and artfully tells a compelling story of two war wounded soldiers, Christina and Whitefish, from two U.S. wars. Christina is a traumatized Gulf War vet desperately trying to find what is left of herself. Whitefish is a physically disabled Vietnam vet, also haunted by his battlefield demons, who owns a funky tavern and club on the boardwalk in Asbury Park—a dying New Jersey shore town. Captivating and powerful prose pulls us via flashbacks to war-torn countries, while a cross-country journey shows us both Christina’s internal struggles and the novel’s current day (1994) road worn America. A chance sunrise meeting between Christina and the Whitefish leads to profound healing, deep transformation and redemption. If you are wanting to read a compelling, satisfying novel, look no further and be prepared to reread it immediately!
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I loved this book. Being a girl from New Jersey the author totally captured “the shore” the good the bad and the ugly…the perfect backdrop for this lovely story about 2 lost souls who come together and find friendship and redemption. A must read
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You don’t want to miss out on this book, it’s soooo very good, you will NOT be disappointed. I have never been to Asbury Park but the way the Author describes everything there, I feel as though I have visited many times! And for those of you who live or grew up on the East Coast, I am sure it will conjure up memories of Asbury Park from your youth!!! The dynamic and healing between Christina and the Whitefish is phenomenal, this novel is a real page turner, ENJOY🙏🥰
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Stephen Vittoria’s novel is a funny and heartfelt romp through a weird and wonderful not-too-distant past, just after the Gulf War and just before the ubiquity of cell phones and the internet. A chance encounter on a stretch of the woebegone wonderland of Asbury Park connects two lives—one full of hard-won wisdom sinking into obscurity along with the aging boardwalk he calls home; the other traumatized by war and desperately looking for a reason to go on, or a reason to end it all. This story of two leaking ships passing in the sea-salted night plays out like a tender, funny, heart-breaking, and clarifying answer to the question, “Who saved who?” Buy the ticket, take the ride.
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I really felt like Christina and the Whitefish created a world that I wanted to stay in—I was inspired by Christina’s healing and watching her learn to take care of herself. I loved reading about friendships built on the solidarity of purpose, the back and forth between perspectives, and the way that music is integrated into the story. There are so many great visuals too that will stick in my mind long after reading.
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“Christina and the Whitefish” is an inspiring story of two people who probably needed each other but didn’t know it until they met. Seemingly opposite, their commonalities slowly emerge as a compliment to each other and the narrative. Vittoria’s writing unfolds as a movie might — it’s no surprise he’s also an award-winning documentarian — with the visual details of his storytelling working in partnership with the crisp, honest dialogue of the characters. And while there are obviously main characters in any story, the storylines that rest on the periphery of this adventure are equally enjoyable. Highly recommended.
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Just finished “Christina and the Whitefish” !!
Loved it! Amazing work. Helped me during my current depression.💕
Thank you, Stephen Vittoria. Brilliant with all the references, context, descriptions, visuals. And I laughed my butt off several times!
Good to dig in with characters who see through the bullshit.
I highly recommend this book. -
Great book, quick read, development of characters was so fantastic I could feel their emotion and connection. Please do yourself a favor and read this amazing book!!
Debut work of fiction by award-winning filmmaker and author, Stephen Vittoria.
“Christina and the Whitefish” is a joy to read. If Bruce Springsteen wrote fiction,
it would read a great deal like this.
— Dave Zirin, The Nation Magazine, Author of “The Kaepernick Effect”
A gifted filmmaker brings his storytelling prowess to the pages of this book…
what a dramatic and beautiful journey.
— Sonali Kolhatkar, Award-winning Journalist, Author, Broadcaster
The characters of this stunning novel will stay with you…
a high-spirited and humorous voyage… it will give you chills.
— David Swanson, Author & Journalist, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee
I love this book. It’s hard to let go of the characters… Masterfully delivered with twists and U-turns… The reader needs to buckle up and hold on tight to arrive at the place called redemption. This is an intriguingly subversive work.
— Paul Rabinowitz, Author & Founder of ARTS By The People
Brutally honest and unexpectedly tender, with characters you root for… This isn’t one of those books you bail on – you need to know how it ends. (Never thought I’d say this, but now I need to visit the Jersey shore!)
— Katy Farzanrad, Executive Producer, “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars”
“This novel ignites the mind’s movie making machine. Vittoria’s attention to detail and character is delicate and intimate. It’s a rollicking journey that is at once dark and beautiful, harsh and loving. When I finished and closed the book, it was like walking out of a dark theatre into the light of day, feeling like I was wearing the story, a suit of armor.”
— Kathy Kremins, poet & author of The Curve of Things
Legendary filmmaker, Albert Maysles, publicly petitioning his colleagues
in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to consider Vittoria’s documentary feature, Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary, for Oscar consideration:
I’ve sat through many documentaries in my life and this is one of the finest.
I was riveted by the film and storytelling. It was as if Mumia was in the room speaking
directly to us. Vittoria’s “Long Distance Revolutionary” is a gripping film.
It’s 1994. Christina, a young Gulf War veteran wrecked by war and tragedy,
seeks redemption in Asbury Park, the seaside mecca of her childhood.
It’s a place well past its prime… and now reigned over by the self-proclaimed
King of Asbury Park: The Whitefish—a disabled Vietnam-era vet,
tavern owner, and all around oddball philosopher.
It’s here, on the Jersey shore,
that a chance meeting leads to a profound and life-altering connection.
This is a book for the moment—a heart wrenching tale about overcoming your demons and finding your people. Vittoria doesn’t flinch in the face of painful subject matter.