Book Review: Living With Markus

Living With Markus. Florence Osmund. Self Published, April 6, 2016, Trade Paperback and Kindle, 297 pages.

Reviewed by Ray Paul.

Marc Nussbaum, also known as Markus, is a thirty-one-year-old bachelor living alone in one of the apartments in the building he owns in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to collecting rent from the other tenants in his building, Marc owns and oversees a flourishing landscaping business that tends to the needs of the owners of high-end properties in the suburbs. However, life is not all work for Marc, because he has also found the time to spend seventy-five weekends with his loving girlfriend, Gabby.

Sadly, for Marc, but happily for this reader, his life changes dramatically when he is inundated with family problems that his family expects him to solve. 

First, his sister, Zenzi, and her two school-age boys, Riley and Josh, show up at Marc’s apartment and he takes them in. As the weeks and months go by, Marc worries about the boys as his sister concentrates on consuming all of the beer in his refrigerator.

Shortly after they settle in, Marc and Zenzi's father shows up at the apartment with no assets or income and in the early stages of dementia. His demands include having Marc provide him with free room and board. Complicating the situation further is the ongoing war between Zenzi and her father and Zenzi’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Ultimately, the pressure falls on Marc to house all four of his relatives and to make sure Zenzi's two sons are guided toward a brighter future.

I loved this book. The characters, even the young boys, are complicated and believable, and the plot’s complexity allows the reader to see the characters from a myriad of angles. The Midwestern city setting is familiar enough for most readers that the characters’ actions are fitting. Another non-surprise is Florence Osmund, who has written yet another great book.