Beyond The Locket: Surviving Parental Separation

Locket is an allegory, reminiscent of Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince—two marvelous tales reaching adult and child alike. Locket is set in the Middle Ages—which turns out to have been a world, while less advanced, differing not much from our own. The book vividly portrays the emotional impact divorce has on a Little Princess whose world is shattered by it; what she does to survive that; and the ensuing path she takes to find a fuller and happier adult life.

There are no villains in Locket, only unintended circumstances that spin a tragic web—a web that, in time, turns a well-loved and loving child into a beautiful woman; but one whose heart is frozen hard by the fear and guilt brought on by her parents’ separation. How that change comes to pass makes for an unexpected and compelling ending.

ALAN SAUNDERS

Son and grandson of diplomats, Alan attended 13 schools in 7 countries. After his Tulane days, he went to New York City to produce and direct Off-Broadway plays and industrial films. He later founded, and for 10 years ran SAI, a company that designed and manufactured audiovisual hardware, and produced communication programs for multinational corporations. Subsequently he went on to design and build solar houses; to teach at the University of Bridgeport; and to lecture on energy conservation systems at universities here and abroad (primarily China). The latter resulted in a number of radio and television interviews, as well as a 1/3 page article about his efforts in the NY Times.

Through it all, he has been an enthusiastic sailor, tennis player, and horseman—as well as an avid dancer and cook—and a good friend to his children. Alan's other writings include a biography of General George C. Marshall—A General for Peace; The Invasion of Poland—1939; and Radiant Floor Heating. Additionally, he has written articles for mass-market, sailing, and trade publications. These include National Geographic, Reader’s Digest, Contractor, Better Homes and Gardens, Popular Mechanics, Cosmopolitan, Water Well Journal, Farm Journal, Canadian Yachting, Southern Boating, etc.