Back from the Valley: Of the Shadow of Death

A fictional story of true love, devastating disasters, inherited addictions, and final redemption. The book opens when Sam Mackal is advised that he has been chosen to receive the Louisiana Governor's Business-Executive of-the-Year Award for the year 2000. It details two distinctly different cultures set in actual south Louisiana locations, covering three generations of two prominent families beginning in 1909 and ending in 2006. The story starts with Sam's grandfather coming to America. It covers fictional accounts of real natural disasters affecting the families in 1915, 1927, 1947, 1965 and 2005. Sam has a secret drinking problem and is somewhat of a recluse. At the award ceremony, Sam gets drunk, slips, falls and goes into a deep coma. When Sam awakens from the coma, he gives a detailed description of his out-of-body experience. The final chapters explore the after effects of Sam's near-death spiritual experience and the subsequent changes in his family.