Leave It All Behind

Will O'Brien was a successful advertising executive who retired at the age of fifty-nine with no financial worries. He was looking forward to a retirement filled with fishing, family adventures, and community service in his neighborhood on the Southside of Chicago. He and his wife, Deirdre, had a loving and supportive relationship. They were surrounded by family and good friends and each had interests that made their lives fulfilling, satisfying, and happy. One fateful evening, after a tempting encounter with a beautiful young woman, Will has an accident that propels his future into unknown and potentially disastrous territory. A mother of three is killed and others are injured. Will suffers a concussion and a broken wrist. Crushing civil suits are filed. Criminal actions are contemplated. Everything Will and Deirdre had worked and longed for is suddenly in jeopardy. Deirdre, especially, is devastated and withdraws into herself and harbors great anger and resentment. An unexpected phone call and an unusual meeting with a mysterious person gives Will hope that he can leave all of his troubles behind and resurrect his nearly perfect life. The story, as told by Will and his son Owen, takes the reader on the greatest odyssey any human has ever experienced. It is filled with mystery, awe-inspiring adventures, psychological twists, cutting-edge science, and reshaped reality. The ending is unexpected but emotionally and intellectually satisfying.