Running Away

Andrew Striker is a brilliant professor of English Literature at Acadia University. For forty years his students have known that he never relies upon notes when presenting his lectures. The one day, he forgets.

Running Away is the story of his last year before total collapse. He escapes to the South Shore of Nova Scotia to spare his family and friends the stress of watching his mental deterioration. But new friends appear, and he is unable to run away from life.

He takes on new responsibilities: the care and feeding of an old, unwanted cat; the guidance of a defiant child he meets on a deserted beach; the encouragement of a young waitress who aspires to a career in medicine.

In facing the inevitable end of life, Andrew believes he has nothing more to contribute. Events prove him wrong.

Peter H. Riddle joined the faculty of Acadia University in 1969 and created that institution's first instrumental music education program. He currently teaches courses in music history and theory, and is the author of a textbook on Music Theatre. His compositions and arrangements for Concert Band have been published in Canada and the United States. He has also written extensively on the topic of model railroading, with ten books and many periodical contributions to his credit.