Not Dark Yet

By Gary E Carter and Gary Carter

A pledge made in college between two friends becomes a harsh reality three decades later when Henry calls unexpectedly upon Charlie to honor their pact to exit the planet on acceptable terms. The feisty Henry is determined to control his final days in order to maintain his dignity and minimize the impact on his wife, teenage son, ailing mother and friends. A veiled ulterior motive is to force Charlie to accept his own unavoidable fate and fully embrace the time he has left.

When Henry's summons arrives, Charlie is treading water in "an inert state" brought on by the abrupt departure of his wife and loss of his job. Henry's condition compels his friend into action, and the duo undertakes an often darkly humorous process as Henry, a landscape architect, proves adept at keeping things in semi-perspective while utilizing his sardonic wit to smooth away the jagged edges.

An unsettled Charlie bounces back and forth between despair and disbelief as Henry's partner-in-crime, always accompanied by classic rock tunes of their younger days. Helping along the way are Joanne, a committed hospice worker with whom Charlie clashes over Henry's needs and desires, and Pete, a friend to Henry and an innkeeper who lost his partner after a long illness.

Set in the mountain town of Asheville, Not Dark Yet is a moving tale that digs deep into the power of friendship and acceptance of what Henry acknowledges, channeling Jackson Browne, as "the one dance you'll do alone."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0C7ZYH3WB
• ISBN13: 9798223752653
• Release Date: May 2023
• Publisher: Back Nine Books
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A "Can't Put It Down" Tale

Gary Carter has once again told a hell of a tale. It is hard to explain how deeply this book touched my heart. Perhaps if I possessed this writer’s talent, I might find the appropriate words to do it justice. What I can say is for anyone who has experienced a true, life-altering friendship; for anyone who has helped a loved one through a final journey; for anyone who has lost their way and needs someone to wake them up to living again, this story is for you. Through laughter and tears, I traveled the road with Charlie and Henry, reminiscing along with their soundtrack while praying for a miracle, but having to accept it was never going to come. This is a fiercely moving tale of an abiding friendship and what happens when that friendship is tested to the absolute limit. The comradery between the two characters is outright hilarious at times, yet both heartwarming and heartbreaking. If only we all might be blessed enough to experience a bond such as this one. A pledge has been made and the bill has come due. Promises kept, one life drawing to a close while another awakens, beginnings and endings. After all, “the end is where we start from.” (T.S. Eliot)