Wild Dreams of Reality

"I became a fool for Adrienne Parker the first moment I set eyes on her." With these words, Philip Janov, a middle-aged realtor and poet, begins his escape into life and freedom after fifteen years in a sour marriage; an escape that calls into question what his life has been about, forcing a reexamination of family loyalty and allowing him to become the person he truly is inside. At the same time, Philip’s older brother Darrell struggles to hold on to the wife he has suffocated with his controlling nature. As one man’s life comes together, the other’s falls apart. Jerry Ratch knows how to mix a potent brew of magic mushrooms, dead bodies, jealous suitors, drinking binges, and midnight escapades in green trucks and red Saabs. It is a story that is rich with atmosphere and insight into the human spirit.

JERRY RATCH was born in Chicago, Illinois. He has authored eleven books of poetry, including Puppet X and Hot Weather: Selected Poems. In 1990 he moved away from poetry and decided to concentrate on writing fiction. Currently he makes his home in an art loft in the Berkeley, California area with his wife, artist Sherry Karver. This is his first published novel.