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68: A Novel
Ed Turner has arrived at his fiftieth high-school reunion for the class of ’68, only to learn that everyone there thinks he died fifty years ago. But that’s just the first shocking development, as Ed comes to believe that he’s either seriously ill or entered an alternate reality, where another version of him did die at age eighteen.
As Ed becomes increasingly desperate to find a way out of this mind-bending nightmare, he is aided by a quirky high-school student who reads college physics books, a crusty old quantum physicist, and classmates at the including a psychiatrist, a pastor and a fisherman from Alaska. And he encounters Ellen, who he never dated but who could have been the love of his life.
But nothing can prepare Ed for the startling appearance of a late-arriving guest, who will challenge everything he thought was possible and force him to confront the tragedy that has shaped his life.
68 is shadowed by the tumult of Ed’s graduation year, 1968: brutal war in Vietnam, assassinations, political upheaval and great rock and roll. Then it takes the reader into a mysterious realm that science is only now beginning to understand, and shows us that, even in a new universe, the most important things never change.
As Ed becomes increasingly desperate to find a way out of this mind-bending nightmare, he is aided by a quirky high-school student who reads college physics books, a crusty old quantum physicist, and classmates at the including a psychiatrist, a pastor and a fisherman from Alaska. And he encounters Ellen, who he never dated but who could have been the love of his life.
But nothing can prepare Ed for the startling appearance of a late-arriving guest, who will challenge everything he thought was possible and force him to confront the tragedy that has shaped his life.
68 is shadowed by the tumult of Ed’s graduation year, 1968: brutal war in Vietnam, assassinations, political upheaval and great rock and roll. Then it takes the reader into a mysterious realm that science is only now beginning to understand, and shows us that, even in a new universe, the most important things never change.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 13, 2018
7 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Jim Trainor
12 books3 followersJim Trainor is the author of six books. He is a Ph.D. physicist, formerly Deputy Division Director for Physics for the nation’s largest physics department (Los Alamos National Laboratory), and an ordained Episcopal priest.
Jim wrote his first novel when he was five. It was a mystery story with a surprise ending, well at least as surprising as a five-year-old mind can conjure up. It was written in pencil and was three pages long. His mother kept it among her treasures until her dying day.
It would be many years later before he would write his second novel. Jim grew up in the megalopolis of Los Angeles, went to college there, lived there until he was almost thirty. By then he'd had gotten his doctorate in physics (Univ. of California) – a far cry from novel writing, well maybe – and headed off to his first real job at the Argonne National Laboratory, near Chicago. Over the next two decades he lived in the world of experimental physics, and his profession would take him back to California, then to Los Alamos, New Mexico. For several years he served as deputy division leader for physics at Los Alamos. His love for writing found its way into over sixty scientific articles in physics journals.
Things were going well in Jim's physics career, but then he was called into ordained ministry and studied to become an Episcopal priest. As he served in parishes in New Mexico, Texas and Wisconsin, he was often asked how someone trained in a field so rational, analytical and solid as physics could embrace something so intuitive, fuzzy and ancient as religion. For years, he had already been pondering that question, and the answer can be found in his first book, a nonfiction work: Grasp:Making Sense of Science and Spirituality (2010).
Now he's written five novels (not including that masterpiece when he was five). His latest novel is 68 (2018), in which Ed Turner arrives at his fiftieth high-school reunion to discover that everyone there believes he died fifty years ago. He's also the author of The Mountain Goat (2017), a road trip on the dangerous highway of love. Up North (2014), a thriller with a theme of redemption, is set in the north woods of northern Wisconsin. The Sand People (2013), a novel set in Maui, deals with issues afflicting many lives and points to the ultimate victory of hope over failure. Waverly's Universe (2012), a novel, was an award winner in the 2012 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Award.
Another interesting thing happened to Jim during those years at Los Alamos. He met his wife Mary. Today they live on a small wooded lake in central Wisconsin, where Jim enjoys kayaking, fishing and outdoor photography. They have three grown children.
Jim's website is www.JimTrainorAuthor.com
Jim wrote his first novel when he was five. It was a mystery story with a surprise ending, well at least as surprising as a five-year-old mind can conjure up. It was written in pencil and was three pages long. His mother kept it among her treasures until her dying day.
It would be many years later before he would write his second novel. Jim grew up in the megalopolis of Los Angeles, went to college there, lived there until he was almost thirty. By then he'd had gotten his doctorate in physics (Univ. of California) – a far cry from novel writing, well maybe – and headed off to his first real job at the Argonne National Laboratory, near Chicago. Over the next two decades he lived in the world of experimental physics, and his profession would take him back to California, then to Los Alamos, New Mexico. For several years he served as deputy division leader for physics at Los Alamos. His love for writing found its way into over sixty scientific articles in physics journals.
Things were going well in Jim's physics career, but then he was called into ordained ministry and studied to become an Episcopal priest. As he served in parishes in New Mexico, Texas and Wisconsin, he was often asked how someone trained in a field so rational, analytical and solid as physics could embrace something so intuitive, fuzzy and ancient as religion. For years, he had already been pondering that question, and the answer can be found in his first book, a nonfiction work: Grasp:Making Sense of Science and Spirituality (2010).
Now he's written five novels (not including that masterpiece when he was five). His latest novel is 68 (2018), in which Ed Turner arrives at his fiftieth high-school reunion to discover that everyone there believes he died fifty years ago. He's also the author of The Mountain Goat (2017), a road trip on the dangerous highway of love. Up North (2014), a thriller with a theme of redemption, is set in the north woods of northern Wisconsin. The Sand People (2013), a novel set in Maui, deals with issues afflicting many lives and points to the ultimate victory of hope over failure. Waverly's Universe (2012), a novel, was an award winner in the 2012 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Award.
Another interesting thing happened to Jim during those years at Los Alamos. He met his wife Mary. Today they live on a small wooded lake in central Wisconsin, where Jim enjoys kayaking, fishing and outdoor photography. They have three grown children.
Jim's website is www.JimTrainorAuthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 30, 2018
Physics and life choices
The premise of this book, parallel universes, normally would not attract me. However Jim Trainor's character, Ed Turner, did appeal to me in all the "what ifs" that also occur to me in my own 60 year old reflections. Life does seem to turn on seemingly random decisions and events. Turner was given the gift of seeing the alternative realities and (maybe) choosing a different path.
I am also attracted to the intersection of spirituality and quantum mechanics explored in this work of fiction. I gave it 4 stars because I really wanted one more chapter. I have read all of Trainor's books and this one has really inspired me to read more on the "many worlds" theory.
The premise of this book, parallel universes, normally would not attract me. However Jim Trainor's character, Ed Turner, did appeal to me in all the "what ifs" that also occur to me in my own 60 year old reflections. Life does seem to turn on seemingly random decisions and events. Turner was given the gift of seeing the alternative realities and (maybe) choosing a different path.
I am also attracted to the intersection of spirituality and quantum mechanics explored in this work of fiction. I gave it 4 stars because I really wanted one more chapter. I have read all of Trainor's books and this one has really inspired me to read more on the "many worlds" theory.
March 13, 2022
I graduated in 1968 and am now retired. Jim accurately portrayed my thoughts on the the turbulent year of 1968. So many different events happened that year that brought many of our moral values in question. His thoughts on retirement are my thoughts also. It is a time reflect on activities that you want to do and meaningful volunteer endeavors to hopefully make the world a better place for all. It is a slower lifestyle which can be good and not so good. I liked his writing style. Most of the book was easy to follow. However, I did not completely understand his physics of different universes but that was not needed to enjoy the book. I enjoyed thinking about that concept which expanded my mindset. Great reading!
January 17, 2019
Although I’ve seen this book displayed in our local bookstore, I’d avoided reading it because it sounded “weird”. Even when I finally picked it up to read I was afraid it would be too much physics to understand. But once I started I couldn’t put it down and I’m glad I took the chance. The main character, Ed, was well developed and easy to connect with. Especially since I graduated in ‘69 and am nearly the same age. Much of the novel centers on choices- those made and those not made- and how they would affect our life. Now I’ll read some of his earlier books!
June 4, 2020
4.5 Stars. Particularly poignant because I was in the class of ‘68. While on the surface the story is about parallel universes, I see it as a tale of paths we might have followed or could still seek out. And, just as Ed comes to terms with who he is as a person, so too am I content with how I turned out.
January 13, 2019
Great character development. The idea of parallel universes is a difficult concept but I did like thinking about the ramifications of decisions we make. I thought it would be an easier read than it was but I did enjoy this book.
September 3, 2019
Excellent! This book had me hooked... one of those stories my thoughts kept returning to when I wasn't reading. Inspired me to read further into parallel universes and alternate realities. Beyond that, the characters were easy to connect with, and it was just an enjoyable read overall.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews