In his late thirties, John Julius Reel left his native New York for Seville, hoping to reinvent himself, find his voice as a writer, and cast off the shadow of his famous father. When his girlfriend dumped him after a month-long visit, the last tie was cut, and he had to face his future from his stark, mosquito-infested rented room. Alone in a foreign land, struggling with the language, and longing to find his place and purpose in the world, he began to rebuild his life.

What follows is a tender, comical, and illuminating story about what it means to learn to speak and think in a new way, and to spend so much time away from home that the foreign becomes familiar. This heartwarming chronicle filled with Sevillian delicias (soccer, Iberian ham, creative cursing, and one extraordinary woman) reveals how love, language, and culture can transform your life forever.

“I’ve had the pleasure of reading My Half Orange, by John Julius Reel. As the name might suggest, he’s Bill Reel’s son. All of New York knew Bill Reel through his engaging and provocative newspaper columns, first in the Daily News, then later in New York Newsday. I’m pleased to report that the manzana doesn’t fall very far from the árbol. Bill left us too soon, in 2010; wherever he is, I hope it’s furnished with a comfortable chair and a good reading lamp, so that he can see for himself what a fine writer his boy turned out to be.” — Lawrence Block, internationally recognized master of New York noir fiction, most notably the Matthew Scudder Series

“John Julius Reel gets as close as anybody can to the heart of the matter: he’s actually married to a sevillana, which gives him a highly privileged view of what it is to be Spanish. He is observant, humorous, affectionate and enthusiastic, all of this informed by an intelligent perception. His marvelous book goes a long way to filling in the gaps in more academic studies of this subject.” — Chris Stewart, author of Driving over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucía, A Parrot in the Pepper Tree, and The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society

“John Julius Reel lays both himself and the south of Spain bare in this hilarious, insightful and ultimately moving book. My Half Orange might as well be a monument to his wife, who keeps him honest and on his toes. And of course there is always the fascinating glimpse of New York, Reel’s hometown. Required reading for anyone who wonders what it’s like to find deep and lasting fulfillment in a foreign land.” — Jason Webster, author of Duende: A Journey into the Heart of Flamenco, Guerra: Living in the Shadows of the Spanish Civil War, and Violencia: A New History of Spain

“John Julius Reel’s memoir has two shining stars in its constellation—language and family. His struggles to speak and understand his wife’s poetic Andalusian dialect are both poignant and comic. (“No se puede pedirle peras al olmo.” You can’t ask an elm tree to produce pears.) Through Reel’s eyes, the reader learns to love his close, sometimes too close, Andalusian in-laws. In his delightful cosmos, Reel tries to connect the stars between the memories of his native New York and the reality of his adopted Seville. Go along for the ride.” — Alice Leccese Powers, editor of Spain in Mind: An Anthology

“To call the adventures and misadventures of John Julius Reel quixotic is not a far cry. It’s a joy to tag along with him and his spunky Sevillian wife. Sevilla lights up through Reel’s clever and acute ‘eyes of surprise.’ My Half Orange will crack you up and break your heart while giving an insider’s take on one of the most astonishing and lively cities in Spain, and perhaps on earth.” — Marina Perezagua, author of Don Quijote de Manhattan (Testamento yankee) and The Story of H, and columnist for El País

“In the best tradition of The Nosy and Impertinent Husband by Miguel de Cervantes, John Julius Reel reveals, with as much humor as insight, how the foreigner’s gaze can read more deeply into us than any other.” — Ignacio Peyró, author of the dictionary of English culture Pompa y circunstancia, translator and prologist for the likes of Rudyard Kipling and Louis Auchincloss, and columnist for El País