"An emotionally compelling novel narrated by a thirty-five-year-old
man suffering irreversible brain damage. The story is alive and
candid; the writing is vivid; and the events are both heartbreaking
and heartening."—William Kittredge

    "A remarkable, unforgettable novel."—Deirdre McNamer

    Tim Laskowski’s first novel provides a unique insider’s look into 
the world of a brain-injured man. Fourteen years before the novel 
opens, Montanan Robert Nyquist suffered traumatic injury in a 
rock-climbing accident near Missoula. His once-bright future 
irrevocably lost, he writes this account of his present life in a group 
home as he starts Transitions, a new rehab program that promises 
to teach him the skills necessary to live more independently. His 
volunteer writing coach encourages him to articulate his feelings 
and helps him to make his work intelligible. In the process of 
telling his story, Robert explores the nature of his relationships—
with Lorna, another resident who is dying of multiple sclerosis and 
with whom he has established a sexual and emotional bond; with 
his parents, who still struggle to accept their son’s disabilities; with 
his own son John, whose very existence fills him with uncertainty; 
and with his caregivers. Robert is desperate to achieve coherence 
and "appropriateness" in the midst of a swirling, confusing reality.  

_________________________________________________________

The grandson of Polish immigrants, TIM LASKOWSKI grew up in 
Erie, Pennsylvania, earning his B.A. in social work from Gannon 
University. He received his M.A. in English and M.F.A. in creative 
writing from the University of Montana and his Ph.D. from Ohio 
University. He has worked in a Christian peace center, done 
volunteer social service work in Ireland, and worked in Child 
Protective Services. His fiction, poetry, essays, and reviews have 
appeared in many literary venues. He is coauthor of A Race to 
Nowhere: An Arms Race Primer for Catholics. The father of a 
teenage son, Evan, Laskowski lives in Missoula, Montana, where 
he is a case manager for physically disabled people.



What people are saying about this book

"A gem of compassion."—David Cates

"A wonder of a novel, allowing us into the complex mind and 
spirit of one of those human beings our society institutionalizes 
and tries to forget. I guarantee you will remember Robert long after 
you have turned that final page."—James Welch

"Extraordinary. I marvel at how Tim Laskowski was able to make 
such a seamless thing—the artful, true voice that abhors pity."
—Bryan Di Salvatore