Surfacing

by Jim Mcgregor, Natasha Jones

Jeremy knows about the accident but when his mother, Debbie, finally reveals the truth, he has no idea that he will find his once strong firefighter father still unconscious in an extended care facility. The discovery that, after three years, his father suddenly begins regaining consciousness sets in motion a series of events that will rock many lives. The family ventures into the rundown Franklin Center, the final destination for all of its patients, where Jeremy's youthful optimism for his father's recovery triggers emotions long-buried in the nursing staff, the family and their friends. Drawing on energy from the spirit of a grandfather he can scarcely remember, Jeremy inspires his father's medical team to question their conventional medical approach to what is possible. While the family confronts the ramifications of Don’s return to consciousness they discover that more sinister forces are at work. Bent on the destruction of the family’s hope and fueled by maniacal jealousy, one staff member will do anything to sabotage the firefighter's valiant efforts to recover. In the meantime, Debbie must confront her own challenges, fears and even her ambivalence about her husband’s comeback while dealing with her teen-aged daughter’s increasing distance and her son Jeremy’s mystical behaviour.

338 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 2013