Former Mayor Examines the American Dream Delusion in BYRON'S LANE

Middle age is as much a juncture for reflection of the past as it is a precipice for the future. Some look back and move contented into the last third of their life, while many become stuck in a mire of false expectations. Such is the case with Jonathan Adams, the protagonist in Wallace Rogers' new novel, "Byron's Lane," a baby boomer tale of the powerful and sometimes destructive illusion that is the American Dream.

"Byron's Lane" will be available wherever books are sold September 1, 2013. It is currently featured in the Coffee&Books online store, an entrepreneuring book company that connects readers with books, and puts its bestselling online titles in nearly 60 Dunn Bros coffee houses.

In "Byron's Lane," Adams, narrated through the thoughtful witness of his friend Tom, proves an emblematic product of the 1950s and '60s. He did everything he thought he was supposed to do: He was a civil contractor in Iraq, working to improve people's lives through democracy. As he begins to assess his life in late middle age, he finds himself full of regret, traumatized by his experiences in Iraq, bitter about a failed relationship and distressed by the realization that instead of reaping the benefits of the American Dream he has become irrelevant in the vastly different and progressive 21st century.

Reminiscent of "The Great Gatsby"'s Fitzgerald in style, Rogers captures his baby boomer generation in their transition to middle age.

"Byron's Lane" is a dramatic, climatic and deeply personal tale of disappointment and retribution, and Rogers proves a skillful storyteller of a prodigious and elegant novel. It is a book for baby boomers, Great Gatsby fans and anyone who enjoys a modern-day tale of the complexity of aging.

About the Author

Wallace Rogers was president of the Eau Claire, Wis., City Council, the city's mayoral position. He manages a consulting business that specializes in organizing and building up local governments in developing countries. His projects have been funded by the National Endowment for Democracy, USAID, Great Britain and New Zealand. Rogers taught at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

To post a comment, you must register and login.