2 Books Published by Austin Macauley on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

Charles Kelly, a former Vietnam veteran who works as a news reporter for a Los Angeles TV station, is piloting a news chopper to cover a story. While in flight, Kelly’s chopper suddenly goes out of control when it appears the chopper has hit an object in the sky. Forced to land the chopper in a desert clearing, Kelly staggers out of the helicopter and sees before him a figure of a man standing in front of him. The man introduces himself as ‘The Messenger’ and tells Kelly not to fear him because he’s been sent by Jesus Christ to address the people of the world about their fate, which they will endure for the next three days.

The legacy of Richard Wright is little known. Born of personal experience, his works threw a harsh light on the continued struggles of African Americans in the first half of the twentieth century. Almost completely self-educated, he was a writer, thinker, and activist whose passion for the plight of his people never waned. His works continue to influence young minds to this day.

The stories in this collection are linked by Wright and his life, sometimes directly, sometimes only in passing. They are tales of the ongoing struggle, and Wright’s existence in one way or another touches modern lives in ways they may not even recognise. From a group escaping the ravages of Hurricane Katrina to an ordinary man trying to win the heart of a woman, Richard Wright has a bearing on every life described in these pages.