Flying Lessons, Volume II

FLYING LESSONS, Volume I(Volume I: 755 pages 7 X 10 format)(Volume II:771 pages 7 X 10 format) FLYING LESSONS (Volume I Repercussions of an Ill-Fated Flight and Volume II The Aftermath) is based on a true story and real events (but herein the names of the mentioned individuals are fictitious). Three elements delineate the near-fatal crash of a vintage plane in a remote, mountainous area for the two pilots on board. The first is the harrowing rescue of the co-pilot and principal of the story, Lux Carey, who is literally snatched from the jaws of death by a rescue team just before the search is called off due to darkness. The second element relates the journey of friendship between the two pilots, a bond soon jeopardized by incertitude and restraint over who caused the crash. Transitioning through the agony of surgical reconstruction due to the massive damage to his facial features, Lux bears the burden of ongoing self-reproach. The third element is Lux's uncanny out-of-body experience a seeming mere seconds before the plane crash whose complex spiritual and philosophical overtones permeate the narrative throughout the initial trauma, extending well into the recovery period that lasts well over a year. The respective fate of Lux Carey and Captain Walt Sivaad, who sat behind Lux in the tandem-seater vintage aircraft. Indeed, the two friends are interwoven dramatically to the emotionally charged ending. Written in separate and chronologically linked parts, Flying Lessons relates Lux's questioning attitude about his life and marriage whose increasing dramatics began earlier in the year (1978). Although they were a loving couple for the first nine years of their marriage, the rift only got wider as the months passed. Consequently, Lux, especially, was restive and was constantly assailed by incertitude about where something had changed between them, and that something's collateral drama Lux's restive life and troubled marriage with JoHanna. Consequently, the reason for his most recent search and seeking the purpose of his disenfranchised life. He must deal with conflict through resolution and he can no longer live in denial about the choices that must be made in order to achieve the life he yearns for. The first part, "Departure," is the essential character development of the three principals of the story. This introduction takes Lux back east where the cross-country flight begins. He knows something ominous is about to happen if he goes along with Captain Walt Devas, who is the second principle of the story. However, Lux is beset with his prior commitment to fly the trip and won't bow out. The second part, "Darkness," is the crash, the momentous rescue, and the payoff of Lux's prophetic vision. Because of the trauma, he must endure, Lux now wanders a mental wasteland until he finds his missing pieces. In the third part, "Arrival," Lux returns to Denver and feels utterly disenfranchised with his life. This is Lux's purgatory where he is at the greatest odds with himself. He feels like a ghost and his emotional struggles with Johanna, who is the third principle of the story. The fourth part, "Closure," encompasses Lux's redemption and highlights the emotional and spiritual paradigms that set him on a new path. Walt's unexpected demise and Lux's divorce eventually lead him to a poignant, though necessary, closure. (eBook version also available) For more about my credentials and background, visit my online bookstore and home page at this URL: www.richholtzin.com