The Reclusive Mr. Haverman

About the Book

Almost four decades have passed since Sam Haverman, an Army sergeant and ex-ballplayer then, climbed aboard a helicopter and flew away from the war in Vietnam. Since that time his shattered world has changed forever. He's lost everything he once valued, his own American Dream turning into a nightmare that haunts his nights and days. At last, near the bottom of his existence, a single telephone phone call heralds the strange beginning of redemption.

Sam turns away from those haunting images of war and begins a career as a successful but reclusive novelist. Eventually, however, his success must take him on another quest. Maybe an impossible quest to seek what he hopes will lead to some form of forgiveness for the one day, in 1968, that he will never forget. The one day that still haunts his memories of war and changed his life and the lives of others forever.

Sam Haverman's story is one that most vets might well identify with. Maybe a timeless tale that transcends the finality of war and its aftermath. For the vet and the non-vet alike, The Reclusive Mr. Haverman will give the reader insight into the hidden stories of war and the tribulations of those vets who seek only peace meaning in their lives. It's a timely story, not only for the 20th Century, but for our sometimes violent world as it is today. Wars, after all, are only separated by time and the younger faces that are thrown into each battle.

About the Author

Since retiring from Aerospace some years ago, there's finally time to pursue a lifelong ambition to write novels. This is the second attempt in the publishing process, with others, hopefully, to follow. As with the hero of The Reclusive Mr. Haverman, I've discovered the world of writing makes one reclusive by default.

Today, I live quietly and rather reclusively on the central coast of California, along with my wife of some forty-seven years, Jean. Our Golden Retriever, Hawkeye, also offered inspiration for this story, as did the three grand children noted in the dedication page. As a military veteran myself, I've known many other vets over the years, many of those with untold stories of their own. For them, and they might recognize some of their own experiences within these pages, I thank them for their contributions and hope I've maintained their privacy while telling the story as fiction. You guys, whether you know it or not, are an important part of this world and this author.