Hope

By Joel Spring

Will John Henderson find what he's searching for?

A famous national newscaster who callously reads to his audience each evening whatever is on his teleprompter, John is handsome, self-centered, and deeply in love with his wife Julie, a social justice lawyer. When Julie is murdered in court by a client she is defending as a victim of an unjust society, John's comfortable life is shattered. He embarks on a globe-hopping quest to find a just and happy society.

Serious moral questions-deeply entwined with biting satire, ludicrous often funny circumstances, romance and lust, violence and murder (and plenty of fine dining)--propel John's journey.
From his first unsatisfactory stop, a luxe Hawaiian resort, he heads to nearby Taylor Camp, where the pathway in is wired to blow up all newcomers' digital devices. Yearning for his phone and laptop, he departs for Greece to try life as silent, celibate monk in a remote monastery. Not for him. Hanoi is next, touted as a place of harmony within chaos; the troubles he gets into belie the city's reputation. On he goes to Australia, intending to rough it on his own and find inner peace in the Outback. Tragedy there drives him onward. He gets stuck in a mess in Singapore, where he only intended to change planes on his way to Finland--known as the world's happiest country and plagued by alcoholism. Lured back to his newscaster job in New York, he quickly gets reckless and is forced to resign.

A surprise ending reveals whether John ever finds what he is seeking.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H9NVB6Q2
• ISBN13: 9798188025397
• Release Date: July 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"