STRINGS

About the Book

Can the product of a dysfunctional family overcome his misfortune and become a rich rock star?  Can a popular musician deal with the temptations of the road and the exploitative predators of the entertainment business?  And does success in life require the sacrifice of human love, compassion, and understanding?

Bridge Matthison is a member of an impaired family.  His mother is an alcoholic.  His father is an emotionally impotent man who has resigned himself to the futility of life and has coped with his situation by numbing himself to the world.

A young Bridge finds music as a way to his own survival and focuses all his energies toward playing the guitar.  Feeling that any connection with his family will prevent him from survival as a musician or even as a person, he attempts to cut any subjective ties to them.

Bridge does value relationships with a number of other people he encounters.  Communication and close friendships with fellow musicians seem easy for him.  He also develops a loving union with a Southern girl named Sally.

Perhaps his biggest breakthrough in human bonding is the love that develops for his grandfather.  The relationship changes Bridge’s perspective on family love, acceptance, and identity.

During his quest for musical recognition, Bridge makes use of the truths of those he trusts to realize a kind of order to the universe.  This opens previously locked doors and allows him an understanding of life’s purpose for him.

About the Author

The author was born in Gary, Indiana. He received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and has been a teacher for over 28 years. Mr. Baran now teaches English at a small business school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania where he lives with his wife of 28 years, his two daughters, and his dog Gelly.