10/24/2022
Offering up clear-eyed life advice in every chapter, Kehoe’s surprising, insightful debut strikes a delightful balance between self-help, leadership guide, and memoir. Drawing on his business and personal experiences, and couching hard-earned guidance about facing setbacks or how to “build a door” when opportunity doesn’t knock in reflections from his not-so-average life, Kehoe employs a personable, inviting tone while sharing upbeat anecdotes crafted to rouse the spirits of inspiration seekers, covering topics as varied as persistence, marriage, the courage it takes to speak out against nonsense in a group setting, and how to give a wedding toast (“Don’t bring up anything you did with the groom “in the old days.”)
Despite some heavy subject matter, One Hit Wonder is a quick, engaging read, with every anecdote tied persuasively to a lesson. A chapter on the power of “showing up,” for example, reveals how, as a cancer survivor no longer in peak condition, Kehoe consistently participated in marathons, persisting until he finally won one. Each brief but substantial story is prefaced by a quote, popular remark, or lyric that ties into the chapter’s theme, which might concern careers, maintaining relationships, health, travel, or divorce. Kehoe’s stories often surprise–the once-controversial rock band Twisted Sister makes a jolting cameo–and his enthusiasm and sense of humor keeps things lively even if the thematic (rather than chronological) arrangement of the material diminishes narrative momentum.
Kehoe begins and ends the book with a broad summary of his life, from his early days shuttling between various types of jobs to his diagnosis with colon cancer, but elsewhere the logic behind the arrangement of chapters is unclear. Still, One Hit Wonder works well as a series of snapshots of Kehoe’s eventful life. Readers can engage with chapters in any order and be rewarded with a charming life lesson, often ending with a detailed concise list of inspirational pointers.
Takeaway: A charming memoir that offers hard-earned life advice to readers of all ages.
Great for fans of: Gretchen Rubin, Fred Duffy’s Adventures of a Serial Entrepreneur.
Production grades Cover: B+ Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: B Marketing copy: B
