Set in early-1970s Los Angeles, a 19-year old French expat named Adrian is trying to get over his first true love. He's keeping his passion for music alive and starts spending time with his newly acquainted American companion, a solitary 70-year old lifelong alcoholic named Max. It's at the bar where the two lost souls discuss life over beers. Both men must decide what to do when presented with newfound hope. Max's excessive drinking takes Adrian along for the ride as both men open up about their past and outlook on life, pushing them to discover more about themselves. "The plot progression is slow, deep, and thoughtful, and the reading experience of the novel as a whole gives a real sense of satisfaction and thoughtfulness at the close. Overall, I would certainly recommend A Tale of Two Wise Fools as a highly literary and well-crafted work." ― K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite Book Reviews and Award Contest , June 17, 2020 "Arin Keshishian's heartfelt coming-of-age story, A Tale of Two Wise Fools , offers a vivid glimpse of 1970s Los Angeles through the eyes of a young French expat whom, after forming an unlikely friendship with a wayward alcoholic, sets out on a colorful journey of self-discovery." ― IndieReader , October 12, 2020 "The story features a solid cast of supporting characters, and an accurate (if somewhat nostalgic) depiction of life in the 1970s. The main character, Adrian, is appealing and well-drawn as the brooding, tortured soul who finds hope in the end. All in all, this is a satisfying read that leads one to think about the characters long after the final page is turned." ― Judge, 28th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards , November 4, 2020 Awards: A Tale of Two Wise Fools earned a Five-Star Review seal from Readers' Favorite Book Review and Award Contest in 2020. A Tale of Two Wise Fools earned a Gold seal for the Historical Literary Fiction category and a Silver seal for the Inspirational/Visionary category from Dan Poynter's Global Ebook Awards in 2020. A Tale of Two Wise Fools earned a Finalist's medal and seal in the Adult Fiction category from The Wishing Shelf Book Awards in 2020. A Tale of Two Wise Fools earned a Best Notable Indies seal from Shelf Unbound Magazine in 2020. A Tale of Two Wise Fools earned a Distinguished Favorites seal in the Literary Fiction category from The Independent Press Award in 2021. Readers' Comments: "This is a rather thoughtful read. The author seems in no rush to tell the story. Interesting in terms of its glimpse into 1970s USA. Cool title too!" — Male reader, aged 52 "This is very much a character-led story. The author knows the characters well and, by the end the book, so will the reader. The dialogue is humorous and the alcohol flows." — Female reader, aged 48 "Superb character development from the very first page. This is sort of novel you can take your time over; there's no rush." — Male reader, aged 38 To Sum It Up: "A superbly crafted historical novel packed full of memorable characters. A finalist and highly recommended!' — The Wishing Shelf Book Awards A nostalgic tale of sentimentality, self-reflection, and deep, youthful yearning for self-discovery bound together with the power of friendship; to which these elements are then all weaved together with poetic hope, peppered with metaphors, and saturated in humor, love, and alcohol. Arin Keshishian migrated with his family from Toulouse, France to live in Glendale, California in 1996. He graduated from UCLA in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and French literature. It was during his first year as an undergraduate, in 2010, when he had his first sparks of inspiration to create and develop his story and characters for this novel. He enjoys theater, playing the drums, cooking, and the company of gregarious friends. He speaks Armenian, English, Farsi, and French, along with some Spanish, and has traveled extensively throughout the world.