Elijah's Coin: A Lesson for Life - Hardcover

Steve O'Brien

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0982073542 ISBN 13: 9780982073544

Publisher: A&N PUBLISHING, 2009

Synopsis

Book of the Year, Fiction--Books and Authors Winner, Novella, Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner, Fiction and Literature, Young Adult Fiction--National Best Books Awards Winner, Teen-Young Adult Fiction, Reader Views Literary Awards Silver Medalist, Men's Fiction, Living Now book Awards Silver Medalist, Audio and Spoken Word, Nautilus Book Awards Silver Medalist, Mid-Atlantic Best Regional Fiction, Independent Publisher Book Awards Finalist, Audio Book of the Year, ForeWord Magazine Finalist, Best New Fiction--National Indie Excellence Awards Steve O'Brien has crafted a new work of fiction that successfully negotiates the tricky balance between entertainment and instruction. Overtly didactic in some ways, Elijah's Coin is also a highly suspenseful story that introduces us to characters we come to care about. The content is edifying and thought-provoking, but the story never becomes dry. Elijah's Coin is the story of Tom, a young man who has suffered a tragic loss and is spiraling out of control. He's angry, anti-social, and rapidly descending into a life of crime. Then, during a night of folly, as he brazenly commits burglary, Tom encounters the night watchman Elijah King, a mysterious figure with a shrouded past. Elijah, unexpectedly, doesn't turn Tom in but instead becomes a stern and rather cryptic mentor to him. Rather than laying his lessons out in a straightforward manner, Elijah gives Tom an enigmatic coin and sends him on a mission of self-discovery. The remainder of Part One of the story chronicles Tom's quest to find three powerful, respected men - an entrepreneur, a courtroom lawyer, and a philanthropist whose lives were forever changed through their own encounters with Elijah. Each step of the journey enriches Tom's sense of the world and of the contributions an individual can make to it, so that through searching for others he ironically comes to know himself. Each meeting also provides a piece of the puzzle that is Elijah and his give-to-get philosophy. Nonetheless, Tom becomes increasingly desperate to find Elijah himself again. The few clues he pieces together ultimately disclose a shocking truth. In Part Two, Tom lives the message, learns to trust his own instincts and uniqueness, and becomes himself a mentor to other individuals on the verge of being lost. Each new, unexpected arrival, directed Tom's way by Elijah, presents its own difficulties. In dealing with these challenges, Tom is forced to discover resources within himself he had never suspected. A serious conflict between his new values and a thirst for vengeance arises, however, when Tom finds himself face-to-face with the darkest figure from his own past.... Author Steve O'Brien is an experienced litigator and international businessman who serves as General Counsel for a global consulting company. With Elijah's Coin, he turns his hand to fiction and draws upon his business and legal experience to create convincing scenes with corporate and courtroom settings. Engaging, thoughtful, and ultimately profound, Elijah's Coin is a rare example of a work of fiction that aspires to transform its readers. As the great German poet Rainer Maria Rilke once wrote: Du musst dein leben andern ( You must change your life ). Elijah's Coin poses the same challenge through a story about inner growth that will inspire readers everywhere.

About this title

About the Author

Steve O'Brien is the author of four novels: Elijah's Coin, Bullet Work, Redemption Day, and Dead Money. Elijah's Coin has been added to the reading curriculum in multiple secondary schools throughout the US and has been incorporated in a university ethics course. The e-book version of Redemption Day was an Amazon.com Bestseller. Steve is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and George Washington University Law School. He lives in Washington, DC.

Review

This is a deceptively simple, feel good story that is a sheer delight to read....The quality of Steve O'Brien's writing cannot be bettered, Elijah's Coin is a wonderful book, and although written as a novel it could easily share space in the psychology or self help sections of the book store. --Simon Barrett, Blogger News Network

Elijah's Coin, written by Steve O'Brien, is a story of pain, confusion, hope and finally redemption and serenity...This story is spiritual, moving and incredibly hopeful. It is about finding your way in your life, even if you don t want to anymore. It is about finding the good in people, but more especially, it is about finding the good in you...The author has written a wonderful, wonderful story of possibilities and love and I absolutely devoured this book. --Tina Avon, Front Street Reviews

It is a heartwarming tale of redemption, forgiveness and the power we all have to make a difference in someone's life. Author Steve O'Brien uses great storytelling and clever props to illustrate his overriding lesson the more we give, the more we get back and urges readers to spread that good word. --Jim Barnes, Editor, Independent Publisher.com

Elijah's Coin, written by Steve O'Brien, is a story of pain, confusion, hope and finally redemption and serenity...This story is spiritual, moving and incredibly hopeful. It is about finding your way in your life, even if you don t want to anymore. It is about finding the good in people, but more especially, it is about finding the good in you...The author has written a wonderful, wonderful story of possibilities and love and I absolutely devoured this book. --Tina Avon, Front Street Reviews

It is a heartwarming tale of redemption, forgiveness and the power we all have to make a difference in someone's life. Author Steve O'Brien uses great storytelling and clever props to illustrate his overriding lesson the more we give, the more we get back and urges readers to spread that good word. --Jim Barnes, Editor, Independent Publisher.com

Elijah's Coin, written by Steve O'Brien, is a story of pain, confusion, hope and finally redemption and serenity...This story is spiritual, moving and incredibly hopeful. It is about finding your way in your life, even if you don t want to anymore. It is about finding the good in people, but more especially, it is about finding the good in you...The author has written a wonderful, wonderful story of possibilities and love and I absolutely devoured this book. --Tina Avon, Front Street Reviews

It is a heartwarming tale of redemption, forgiveness and the power we all have to make a difference in someone's life. Author Steve O'Brien uses great storytelling and clever props to illustrate his overriding lesson the more we give, the more we get back and urges readers to spread that good word. --Jim Barnes, Editor, Independent Publisher.com

Elijah's Coin, written by Steve O'Brien, is a story of pain, confusion, hope and finally redemption and serenity...This story is spiritual, moving and incredibly hopeful. It is about finding your way in your life, even if you don t want to anymore. It is about finding the good in people, but more especially, it is about finding the good in you...The author has written a wonderful, wonderful story of possibilities and love and I absolutely devoured this book. --Tina Avon, Front Street Reviews

It is a heartwarming tale of redemption, forgiveness and the power we all have to make a difference in someone's life. Author Steve O'Brien uses great storytelling and clever props to illustrate his overriding lesson the more we give, the more we get back and urges readers to spread that good word. --Jim Barnes, Editor, Independent Publisher.com

Edition details

• Publisher: A&N PUBLISHING
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0982073542
• ISBN 13: 9780982073544
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 128