The Survivor Trilogy (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781662482953)

The Survivor Trilogy is a series of three short dramas that explore the trials of burn survivors as they strive to cope with their injuries and relationships during the course of their recovery. The first drama, a monologue called Blue Eyes of the Beholder or The Food Lion Blues, tells the story of a burn survivor who lost his wife in a house fire shortly after a marital spat over striving to get pregnant together. One day in line at the grocery store, this disillusioned accountant is questioned by a curious youth about his appearance, and through this encounter gets to know the boy's mother, a recently separated single woman struggling with her finances during her divorce proceedings. The survivor is entranced by the inquisitive boy and his mother, who both have the radiant blue eyes of his deceased spouse. In the course of assisting this woman in resurrecting her financial situation as she distances herself from her estranged husband, the two fall in love, and life renews itself.

The second drama, Princess or The Ultra Joy of Doin' Dishes, captures the conversation of a female burn survivor and her husband after a dinner party at their new home with another couple in the neighborhood. The woman, a successful professional who met her spouse after she had been injured, was eager to discuss how she felt awkward and self-conscious while engaging with the handsome young couple. Her husband is amorous and attentive, and the two lovers take time to process the experience and their reaction to this newly born Four Seasons dinner group while doing the dishes in the kitchen.

In the third drama called The Rising or Taking the Long Way to the Open Eye Cafe, a burn survivor meets the firefighter who saved him in the course of a therapy session years after he was rescued from the flames. The two men openly share their feelings and histories together, discussing how their personal experiences with tragedy had brought them to where they find themselves at the moment. The journey of the burn survivor leads away from anger and resentment to a new path in life. A bond between the two men is formed as they trace their lives away from the flames and discover how tragedy and heroism in former years have brought their lives together