The Family Gordon

Born as they were to privilege, the five Gordon siblings-Edward, Elizabeth, Francis, Cynthia, and Susan-knew in their youth the joy of life together at the family summer estate on Lake Superior in Minnesota. Throughout those years, the closeness and the commitment to each other became the cornerstone of their existence.

Now, as they gather in their old family home, the two men and three women wonder if this will be the last time fate will allow them to enjoy each other's company and conversation. Each has succeeded and moved on to careers within the framework of the contemporary world of politics, greed, and war. But Edward's position in covert intelligence with the Secret Service places him at extreme risk. During the family gathering, he receives two cryptic messages: "We will come for you in eighteen hours," and "We will meet in Samarkand."

The intense bonds between the Gordons have never weakened, but they are tested to the extreme when they are informed that Edward has been captured by the Taliban and is being held in the mountains of Afghanistan. This final challenge threatens their deep family connections.

Edwin G. Rice is a retired physician who practiced for forty years both in a private clinic and in the United States Air Force. He currently lives in a suburb of the Twin Cities in Minnesota where he writes and plays classical piano.