The book is full of vivid people and places. The conflicts are intense and compelling and heartbreaking. This is a rich book-emotionally, psychologically, intellectually. It's the best kind of creative nonfiction. It's both topical and poignant.-Mark Spencer, author of Ghost Walking and A Haunted Love Story
Patrice Johnson weaves a powerful account of her son's life as a fugitive of the US government. Her creative nonfiction work shows the price of living in a post-9/11 world and the limitations of law and order. It reveals the degradations of homelessness and the resilience of the human spirit.
Tyler Johnson has a bright future ahead of him. Major scientific journals have published his research in quantum physics and in artificial intelligence, and he has recently graduated from Caltech. He has a position in a doctoral program at the University of New Mexico waiting for him, but before he can arrive at the school, everything changes.
Tyler and his friend Danny Blair plan to affix bumper stickers in protest of gas guzzling vehicles at SUV dealerships in California. The evening of binge drinking spins out of control, and a Hummer catches on fire.
Suddenly, Tyler, a brilliant presidential merit scholar, is labeled an environmental extremist, a domestic terrorist. He has two choices. He can come forward and risk spending the rest of his years in prison, or he can run for his life with the woman he loves.
Tyler runs.
The story that follows shows the ramifications of one impulsive mistake and a young man's struggle against seemingly irreversible consequences. It serves as a warning flag to all who may feel tempted to cross to the wrong side of the law. A portion of the royalties will be donated to the Longmont Community Justice Partnership, LCJP.
