Journey to ComplineRevelations of a Life's Journey John Lenard is a Vermonter of French/Canadian descent, whose life spans the eras of the Great Depression, World War II, the fight for Civil Rights in the deep south, and a return to his native Vermont. Born in poverty, like so many in the bleak depression years, and wrapped in family tragedies, John Lenard is able to appreciate the deep love and arduous and strenuous efforts of a father and mother who constantly toil and struggle to pass on to their boys, lasting values and remembrances of deep rooted family traditions, sacrifice, love, religious beliefs, and a strong New England determination to succeed. This is a story of a common man whose ideals and ambitions are crushed by circumstances, and who finds strength in the examples of his parents, to mold his own life, even in the loss of educational aspirations, his one true love, and the loss one by one of every member of his family. John's introduction and eventual association with the monastic community of a Vermont Abbey, affords him the invaluable counsel of Brother Paul, a new found friend whose logical guidance and advice eases John's journey in his many career travels through several states and into the deep south, at a most critical time in U.S. history. His return to Vermont affords John a strange fulfillment and satisfaction to his life, in a way never imagined, as well as a real life exposure to murder. The book's ending, leaves you with a deep sense of tranquility. |
