In a sequel to his first novel, Dr. Ron Breazeale’s continues to explore the themes of resilience, conflict and hope, and overcoming adversity in his new work, First Night: The Conflict Between Hope and Cynicism.
“The conflict between hope and cynicism is one each of us must face each day,” said Breazeale. “Questions such as: do we limit ourselves through fear and through the belief that things in our lives must be as they have been? Or can we grow our science and technology without destroying the basic fabric of our society? The answers to these questions will determine our direction and the direction of our civilization.”
First Night raises these questions in a compelling story. It is set in the future, the year 2019, Breazeale resumes the story of Dr. Lee Brazil who has returned to his clinical practice in Maine after being detained by federal agents in Boston for almost a year. He had been implicated in what was mistakenly believed to be a terrorist plot.
Excerpt
Two weeks before the first night of 2020, clinical psychologist Dr. Lee Brazil receives an unexpected visit Federal Agent Jennings who, several years earlier, had implicated Brazil in what was mistakenly believed to be a terrorist plot. He reminds Brazil that a condition of his release from federal detention might include future service to the FBI. And that future was now. Brazil is asked to pick up a package in London and deliver it to Paris, where he is scheduled to attend a World Health Organization conference. Little does he know, he will be pulled into a greed-driven corporate battle to develop a supercomputer that could open the entire universe to colonization; thus raising the question: can science and technology grow without destroying the basic fabric of our society?
Professional Reviews
Don Nalls, Founder and Owner of the Nalls Group LLC
Ron Breazeale is a master storyteller. In the engaging and radical tradition of Kurt Vonnegut, Breazeale weaves a masterful tale in First Night. This is a heroic story of resilience and the triumph of the human spirit, and Breazeale brilliantly captures and celebrates the conquest of hope over adversity. A romping good read.
Rev Allen Ewing-Merrill, United Methodist Pastor
Suspenseful, bold, and provocative, First Night takes the reader on a journey ahead in time and across the globe, deep into some essential questions about what it means to live in an age of technological strides without losing the human heart.
Randi Strathmann, Ph.D., retired Washington D.C. psychologist and psychoanalyst
With First Night, Ron Breazeale has done it again. As in his first novel, Reaching Home, he has skillfully interwoven themes of our individual internal conflicts with current global issues facing our nation and the world. His page turning narrative is vivid and compelling; his characters, complex and entertaining. He has a great ear for dialogue and a lovely wit that permeates the otherwise disturbing theme of our struggle to maintain a sense of inner peace in a world where the pace of our technology and the mega-size of industry have outstripped the speed with which we can apply good judgment and ethics to decision making.
Re-Release! No longer back-listed. Return to the Olde Ways. The hustle and bustle of modern day life has brought many of us to a quick fix attitude.This book is for those of you who are fed up; have looked at your life and your loved ones and realize
Re-Release! No longer back-listed. Return to the Olde Ways. The hustle and bustle of modern day life has brought many of us to a quick fix attitude.This book is for those of you who are fed up; have looked at your life and your loved ones and realize
