The Derelict

Harry Sullivan had a saying for the homeless people that wandered the streets of his neighborhood: "Lazy good-for-nothing derelicts!"
Now this formerly middle-class man is faced with the unthinkable - becoming one of them. Brought up in the rough-and-tumble South Boston neighborhoods of the 1940s, Harry's a decorated Korean War hero and a tough-as-nails former Golden Gloves fighter whose title fight became a legend in local boxing circles. He's worked hard at the Good Life bread company for many years. His retirement was supposed to be a wonderful time to spend with his wife and enjoy all life had to offer.
Then tragedy strikes, sending Harry into a tailspin - and a lifestyle he never even contemplated.
A sprawling, eye opening novel of life's fickle ups and downs, THE DERELICT examines one man's remarkable journey as he struggles both physically and spiritually following a most unexpected role reversal. Utterly alone and adrift, Harry's only lifeline is his frequent conversations at his wife's grave - and with the street preacher who shows him how to survive without a home. But when a freak stroke of luck changes things yet again, Harry forgets the lessons he learned on the streets and returns to his selfish ways. Now he must face something even tougher than surviving on the streets.
Honest, moving and at times comical, THE DERELICT is a reminder of what's really important in life and the constant unknown that lurks around the corner for all of us.