A Summer with Socrates: A Suspense Novel

By Parker Lloyd

Book Overview

Some people have no place to call home; others discover home is not a safe place. Christine Covington and the old man she meets in Reno-who calls himself Socrates-have both learned these lessons the hard way.

Socrates, a homeless wanderer, has evaded the law for twenty years and has created a mythical place called Athens, Nevada. Christine, a young woman, has escaped the oppression of a family member. As they endeavor to stay beneath society's radar, Christine (in disguise) and Socrates spend the summer together bicycling through the mountains of California and the old gold-rush towns of Nevada, panning for gold. Along their journey, Socrates shares his wealth of wisdom, teaching Christine a new way of thinking.

As suspense builds, Christine and Socrates eventually discover they can't escape their pasts forever. With the FBI pursuing Socrates and police authorities searching for Christine, the pair manages to evade their pursuers, but only for so long. Finally captured, Socrates is subjected to a modern trial just as the real Socrates was in 399 B.C. Through it all, the friendship between Socrates and Christine deepens as they learn how to better handle their problems.

A Summer with Socrates will delight you with its twists, turns, and surprises, keeping you reading and learning from the opening pages to its eloquent ending.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595486517
• ISBN13: 9780595486519
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Who is "Socrates?"

This book tells of a man who chose to live the life of an unknown in the eastern Sierras in California. A homeless man without an address. He had reasons for this. This book slowly unfolds a fascinating story that is told by a woman who had an equally fascinating life on the run. This book makes a great summer read. I am mentioned in this book so my life is glimpsed by all who read it.

A Summer with Socrates

This is surely a wonderful suspense novel for summer reading BUT its readability goes far beyond one season. It addresses two of our country's major social problems: spousal abuse and homelessness. That the author introduces us to such tremendously likeable main characters is a great plus. Besides making me turn each page as fast as possible, the intelligence and creativeness of Christine and Socrates made me think about the purpose we each have in life. While I read the book a while ago, I still mull over its ending. That in itself would be fun to discuss with Parker Lloyd who must have had to think long and hard about it. Thanks to the author for this book and for the trip.