Novel Adopted by:
Michelle Morrison

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Place
Brooklyn, NY

Name of Person Leaped Into
Noah Ellman

Project Trivia
Gooshie is taking some personal time.

Ziggy decides to go on strike.

Sam Trivia
We get a glimpse of Sam’s dancing ability.  He remembers playing at Carnegie Hall and remembers bits about his family. 

Al Trivia
Al likes kugel (a Jewish casserole or pudding usually made from egg noodles or potatoes, although it can be prepared using other ingredients).

We hear a bit about Al’s ex-wife, Ruthie.

Al is familiar with Brooklyn, New York.

Al likes Las Vegas.

He has a Ferrari.

He wears red shoes and a scarlet fedora. 

Miscellaneous Trivia
We get a glimpse into Gooshie’s college days before he started working on the project.  The Americanization of Machiko and A Hunting We Will Go are mentioned.  Nicole from Catch A Falling Star is mentioned.

Writers
Mindy Peterman

Copyright Date
October 1998

Leap Date
September 25, 1978

Regular Characters
Sam, Al, Ziggy.  

Guest Characters
At the Project:  Gooshie, Tina, Donna and Beeks.   During the Leap:  Gerda Ellman, Marty (who turns out to be someone important to the Project) and Rebecca Wexler.

Guest character notes
Gerda Ellman is a talented dancer and singer who is supposed to compete in the “So You Want To Be a Star” talent search-That is, if her partner, Marty, shows up.  Rebecca Wexler is a young woman who is dealing with some personal trauma, and Sam can see almost right away she needs help. 

Characters who appeared in QL TV episodes
The only guest character in the leap that appeared in the T.V. episodes is Gooshie, AKA Marty.  Supporting characters at the Project (Tina, Gooshie, Donna and Beeks) are mentioned in several episodes and seen in The Leap Back, Genesis, Star Crossed and Shock Theater.

Personal Review
This is a well-written, entertaining story that explores the past of someone who only had a supporting role on the show-Gooshie.  The author has a good understanding of the characters.  I really liked having more information on someone we only saw in a few episodes, and the plot is believable and engaging.  Who’d have thought Gooshie was a good dancer? I liked the way the author raises the question of whether changing the past of someone connected with the Project for the better might change the Project for the worse. Fortunately things turn out the way they are supposed to.

Best Line
(Al realizing where he is after finding Gooshie):  This is a bordello!  Gooshie’s holed up in a house of…sin.

Best Scene
The best scene has to be when Al tracks Gooshie to the…house of sin.   Gooshie being at a bordello was pretty hilarious and it was classic Al.  Gooshie being able to see Al at the club during the leap is a riot.  The idea of Ziggy going on strike and the dialogue between Al and Ziggy was funny too.

Say What?
I was a little puzzled about the state of Gerda and Gooshie’s relationship at the end.  They were obviously still together, but did they get married?  Were they boyfriend and girlfriend?  It wasn’t a big deal; I don’t think a novel necessarily has to answer every question, but I wasn’t real clear on that. 

Quotable Quotes
(At the Club Air)

Al:  Gooshman, this is your conscience….I’m not hanging around here for my health.

(After Ziggy confirms Rebecca needs Sam’s help)

Sam: Sometimes I’m right.

Al:  Yeah, sometimes you sure as hell are.

Al: Ziggy, one of your oars is not in the boat.

ISBN Number
0-425-16577-9

Author’s Notes
There aren’t any notes other than acknowledgments; there isn’t any information about at what point in the T.V. series this leap happened.    A Hunting We Will Go is mentioned so it is after that leap.

Info about author
Mindy has a twitter account, @Mindy_Peterman, and writes articles for digitaljournal.com, Blogcritics.org and The Morton Report.