Outskirts Press, INC.

A ‘Human’ Interest Story

Rafael is a man who lost his wife to cancer, followed by a sudden and unexpected second tragedy, completely unforeseen, unbearable and beyond his own control. The combination of these two events broke Rafael down to the very depths of his soul, left him with little hope for any kind of enduring happiness, and without much solid ground to stand on. Leaving his family home in Sonoma, and life as he knew it up until then, he moved out into the wilderness of the Sierra Nevada mountains, just outside of Georgetown, CA, built a tepee, and lived in semi-seclusion while navigating his way through his own terrible grief. His is a very personal story, told through both his hand-written journals, and the thoughts and recollections of his surviving son; two different people with independent, but intersecting, perspectives. It is about loss, yes. And it is about grief. But it is also about reconciliation with one’s self, and redemption from one’s inner turmoil. It is about a man and his companion dog, Chica; a dog who gave him purpose through his depression, and renewed appreciation for his life, as fractured as it had become. It is about the strength of family and friends. It is about the struggle for the preservation of faith, and character. It is about the love one man has for his family, and the love a son has always had for his father.