The Book
(Fiction)

Background

In 1838 the U.S. Government rounded up - - at gunpoint - - some 850 Potawatomie indians living in northern Indiana and southern Michigan. Soldiers and local bully-boys force-marched them to Kansas. Many women and children died en route. "Make room for the white man!" crowed the politicians. "Manifest Destiny!"

Four years later Fr. Edward Sorin and his band of Holy Cross clerics arrived in Indiana's St. Joseph River valley and founded the University of Notre Dame. The Potawatomie who had escaped the brutal "emigration" west received the CSC clergy joyfully and the St. Joseph Mission flourished. The priests and the indians formed a strong bond, but one that was soon to be marred by a heinous crime, concealed at the time by the university.

Not until a century later would anyone learn of this "incident."

In 1951, an incoming Notre Dame freshman named Mark Haverty arrives on campus with a questionable wardrobe, a new blue Esterbrook pen, and high hopes. A memorable night at a bonfire pep rally and an afternoon of research at the county library introduce Mark to some outside feminine interests that quickly lead to major distractions. The picture becomes even more clouded as he finds himself privy to a nasty secret that has remained hidden for more than a century - - and he is unwillingly enlisted in a plan to publicly embarrass university officials.

After a bumpy start, Mark's friendship with a girl from nearby St. Mary's College finally leads to a close relationship between the two. They each find the disciplinary policies of their schools too confining, however, and agree that rules were made to be broken. It becomes a wild ride for both to Full Moon Monday.

SOME READER COMMENTS

"Finished your book at 6:43 a.m. this morning -- sorry it had to end - I relished every page."

"... the whole book is amazing. Please reserve two more copies for me."

"Last night I simply could not continue to allot myself only a few chapters. Stayed propped up and devoured the other half of your gripping story. What a terrifying tale! In the end it all made perfect sense. Your details, your allusions, your captured anguished adolescent feelings and seemingly inexhaustible youthful energies flow through the story at an authentic yang pace. I confess I had to keep my box of Kleenex nearby."

"I have a problem putting the book down! "

"Just finished reading your book. While I'm generally a non-fiction guy, this one hit home...brought back many memories. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks."

"I had the pleasure of reading your latest novel and thoroughly enjoyed same. It was like re-living my college days. You write brilliantly and it amazes me how you can remember all the details from over 50 years...am looking forward to the next one."

"...I write because of the memories you call up. They are powerful and thoughtful, and capture what the place is really like. Great job."

"I deeply liked it. Your story's good, but your language is better and that's what matters to me. Your details are perfect, right to Fr. Quinn breathing out his nose being the only sound. You evoked the place, a boy's feelings, young love, Catholic stuff. Barb and Ellen were real enough for me to fall in love with them."

"Couldn't put your book down and finished it in two days. Great read. You really captured undergraduate thinking and hall life...you must write for guys like me. I've really enjoyed the two books you've sent."

"...a superb novel...reminded me somewhat of "The Graduate" or one of Agatha Christie's best murder mysteries, with more twists than a pretzel."

"What a glorious book! Thank you for writing it/ Your book was also somewhat of a salve for the agony of this football season. Let me know if you write another."

"Shadows" was superb. Absolutely superb. I hope you write more."

"Many thanks for the stroll down Memory Lane. Please let me know when your next book is available."

"...finished your book the day after you gave it to me. I thought it was excellent! Plan to read it again in the near future. Good work!"

"Really enjoyed it! Keep 'em coming!"

"The book is FANTASTIC!! You did a tremendous job... this second book makes me anxiously anticipate the third one."

"Thoroughly enjoyed your book. Congratulations! You should have started writing novels long ago!"

"I was totally consumed by your book. It was the end of any other activity for the next two nights. If it is true, then you are truly one of my all-time idols."

"Your Shadows book had a good plot, moved briskly, kept me glued to the book. Your St. Mary's "adventures" sounded like wishful dreaming or what you would have liked to do...right? Again, congrats!"

"Your latest book is GREAT ! I finished it last night. You sure do have a fertile imagination - I hope. Keep up the good work. I can't wait for your next creative work to hit the market!"

"...just finished reading "When Shadows Fell at Notre Dame" and felt compelled to let you know how very much I enjoyed it. Man, did it ever open up memories of long-forgotten feelings! Thanks again for a very entertaining and well-written story!"

"Wanted to tell you how MUCH I enjoyed it. It was GREAT!"

"...your book brings back incredible memories, especially the first 50 or so pages. Your recall is terrific. To think that stuff really happened. You did a terrific job with the book. You should be very proud of the end result. I hope it is an overwhelming success. My wife is an avid reader so she will start it today."

"Was up till 5am reading your book!"

"Received a letter yesterday from my old roommate. He'd just finished your book and wrote at some length about its impact on him and his memory banks. After reading the book, he commented that "the ND we knew in those days embedded itself deeply into the mind, soul, psyche ... and never let go." He agreed with me that while the book is a novel, it's really auto-biographical for so many of us."

"Heard wonderful things about your new book. They were all true!"

"I just finished reading your book and really enjoyed it! If the book was patterned after your time at ND, you had much more exciting extracurricular activities than I did. In any event, you did a nice job with the book – well written – much fun."

"Thoroughly enjoyed your book. You wove the fictional characters in so smoothly with the real people it was hard to tell where the division was. I'm awaiting your next endeavor!"

"...just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your book...Your feel for the campus and personalities of Notre Dame in the 1950s couldn't have been better. I have never written an author before, but I just had to tell you how much I enjoyed your work."

"...a fine, fast read---very enjoyable. I talked it up on campus over the past two weeks and marvel at your factual recall of events, places and people of 50 years ago. Your statements and references to O'Malley,Stritch and Withey were perfect and on the mark. Thanks again; while I prize your work I will share it with friends.

Click here to read excerpts.

Notre Dame Campus circa 1952

"The Golden Dome as Seen from Across St. Joseph's Lake"