SUMMIT AT EAGLE NEST

Literature & Fiction

BORLAND, DAVE

Genre Fiction

Independently published

This is a book of haiku and art sketches about Pittsburgh and its people.

' BURGH KU

Literary

It's 1980 and Sam Westfall, a recently retired 20-year veteran of the Marine Corp, returns to the Homewood section of Pittsburgh where he grew up and finds it decimated. The community is shattered by the closing of the mills, and he is devastated by observing young African American children and their mothers, struggling to survive in a country of vast resources. Poverty, racial tensions, boarded up houses and businesses and the lack of leadership by civic leaders is devastating to Sam. He is overwhelmed by the number of young girls, solely responsible for raising their children, without any financial support especially from fathers, reminding him of his own mother and upbringing. Sam vows to devote his life and financial resources to address this crisis. He begins by talking to groups of local citizens to discuss this problem and to develop assistance programs within the community and eventually the City, to address these issues. Over the next forty years, many new and extended programs are put into place to help the children and their parents. Sam has seen many children go on to college and even the military, but more importantly, begin fulfilling and successful lives. Sam is now in his 80's and with success with his programs over the years, he recognizes there is still much to do, not only for African American children, but all children and not only in Pittsburgh but in communities across the country. He is reconnected with Jamie Sloan, in his mid-70's who worked with him when he first began to help families. Jamie, a retired architect, decides to join up with Sam again and introduces him to Margaret Decker, a wealthy widow of a powerful U.S. Senator, in her mid-70's, who has expressed interest in Sam's work. Margaret joins up with Sam and Jamie to combine their talents to expand Sam's program, now called LIFELINE, for poverty-stricken children across our country. Sam, Jamie and Margaret begin their association, just as a catastrophic pandemic in a hundred years strangles the country. They realize the COVID pandemic will affect their families more than any segment of the population. This story is how these three older folks of different backgrounds, come together to create a 21St Century formulated program that works to combine all governmental and private programs into a unified system to assist underprivileged children and parents a chance in life. They join together to provide for the neediest in our society. LIFELINE is a story of our times.

Lifeline

Ideas Into Books: Westview

In A Moment's Time

Chance: the key word that describes much of what happens to Hugh Sloan in a week that changes his life forever. His doctor discovers a black spot at the base of his brain during an annual physical and diagnoses a brain tumor "in a very difficult location". As he walks about his hometown of Pittsburgh thinking about how he may have to plan his life in months rather than years, he meets by chance, Peggy Burns, a woman who has a profound affect on him at this crucial time. Later he seeks solace in his favorite sanctuary, Heinz Chapel, where a minister, the Reverend Kenneth Strong, introduces himself and appears to take a keen interest in Hugh's spiritual needs because of his medical crisis. The most dramatic chance occurrence is when Hugh discovers a letter disclosing a secret hidden for thirty years related to his brother's death. The letter exposes the real reason behind Reverend Strong's intense interest in him. As Hugh anxiously awaits a definitve biopsy, he struggles with confronting the Reverend with his discovery. Whatever he decides will impact both men forever.

In a Moment's Time

FriesenPress

Chance: the key word that describes much of what happens to Hugh Sloan in a week that changes his life forever. His doctor discovers a black spot at the base of his brain during an annual physical and diagnoses a brain tumor "in a very difficult location". As he walks about his hometown of Pittsburgh thinking about how he may have to plan his life in months rather than years, he meets by chance, Peggy Burns, a woman who has a profound affect on him at this crucial time. Later he seeks solace in his favorite sanctuary, Heinz Chapel, where a minister, the Reverend Kenneth Strong, introduces himself and appears to take a keen interest in Hugh's spiritual needs because of his medical crisis. The most dramatic chance occurrence is when Hugh discovers a letter disclosing a secret hidden for thirty years related to his brother's death. The letter exposes the real reason behind Reverend Strong's intense interest in him. As Hugh anxiously awaits a definitve biopsy, he struggles with confronting the Reverend with his discovery. Whatever he decides will impact both men forever....

Contemporary

These are poems from many different recollections and observations of the poet over his years at different locales in the U.S. The poems reflect what he has seen, either personally or his extension of what he believes has occurred. That is called fictional poetry in a sense, making up a poem from a quick sighting of a situation or a person or persons in interesting settings. Some are personal poems of sadness at the passing of a friend or personal sadness at something the poet has failed at during his life. There are moments of joy, expressed. It is all here, so hopefully the reader can find a line, a poem or more than they can related to as they read.

RIVULETS

Luthers

2050

In 2040 the United States of America is officially dissolved by a Constitutional Convention. State referendums were held in 2038 throughout the country for citizens to decide what new country they would become part of in the year 2040. This historic development was a result of unprecedented immigration early in the century from Latino countries and later a vast emigration by Americans overseas to their ancestral countries.   During this same time frame, due to climate changes and population concentrations, a sharp decline in the availability of earth's most valuable resource, water, was created. This story combines both of these unprecedented historic changes.  Atlantica, a new country composed of northeastern states from the U.S., acquired control of the world's largest aquifer system that is below the Northern Appalachian mountains. Contrary to its original intent and to current UN mandates, and Atlantica decides to use the aquifer water resources to gain economic concessions from surrounding countries which would  create a major threat to peace in the Northern Hemisphere.  Kurt Sloan, the last of a pioneer Scotch-Irish family, decides to escape Atlantica. His journey along a forgotten mountain trail, full of unexpected events and people, symbolizes the human and natural changes of the year, 2050.

Science & Math

Elderberry Press (OR)

In the late 20th Century, unprecedented immigration changed completely the cultural foundations of the United States . As new majorities took over, a counter migration began as Americans moved back to ancestral countries. By 2038 the country had a new demographic make up, so Congress empowered a Constitutional Convention to decide the future composition of the country. Some states chose annexation into Canada , Mexico , or Caribe, while others combined into new countries. In 2040 the United States was dissolved by Congress. Another event of the time was climate change that caused most of the United States to be draught stricken except the Northern Appalachians where the United States constructed a huge artificial aquifer. By 2050, Atlantica, a new country, controlled the aquifer and unexpectedly decided to use this water resource to gain concessions from its neighboring countries. This act violated UN mandates and threatened Hemispheric peace. This is the scenario for Kurt Sloan, who decides to escape Atlantica by hiking a long forgotten trail. His journey, filled with unexpected events and people, is woven with these natural and human changes in the world of 2050.

WRITING THE RAILS

Essays & Correspondence

IMPRESSIONS

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Books by BORLAND, DAVE

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by BORLAND, DAVE. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

SUMMIT AT EAGLE NEST

' BURGH KU

Lifeline

In a Moment's Time

In A Moment's Time

RIVULETS

2050

2050

WRITING THE RAILS

IMPRESSIONS