ADRIFT is a historical novel set in 1977 on Whidbey Island and environs. Readers will become acquainted with the broad scope of the history of the island as well as a more focused history on the year in which the story takes place. The story provides a strong sense of place, with numerous descriptions of the geography, flora, fauna and lives of the people of the island, the largest of the islands in Puget Sound in Washington state. The theme of this fictionalized story explores issues of bullying, responses to violence, and the broader issue of the state sponsored violence we call war. The plot line follows the "hero's journey" of one young, disillusioned, damaged veteran of the Vietnam War through a series of twists and turns, adventures and misadventures, some disturbing, some sad and pathetic, others with a touch of humor, and eventually with glimmers of light at the end of a rather dark tunnel. Occasional profane language is used with a careful attention to character development, and those few scenes containing sex or violence are again portrayed with careful attention to their role in character and plot development. The inner psychological, mental, emotional and spiritual states of the hero of this journey receive as much attention as do his physical actions. The printed book is gaining a following among Whidbey Island residents curious about the past on their island home or others who are just a bit nostalgic about the past.
