A book cover with an image of a person holding a balloon.

Land of the Living, Austin Ratner, 2013

An autobiographical novel by the son of one of my closest college friends, sadly dead at age 29 so many years ago.  The book was wrenching to read with many of the characters familiar to me through real life.  An excellent second novel of family, loss, loneliness, aspirations and how our origins continue to direct our lives many years away from that original point.  Some beautiful writing.