by Ken Dickson
If we are brave enough to take this leap of faith, and then preserve, nurture and share the recipe, all doors will open, and nothing will stand in our way. Through peace, harmony and goodwill, we will mitigate suffering and welcome boundless opportunity. I’m all in. How about you?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
For nearly a year, Brook Michalik coached me to a new level of writing using The Road to Amistad as my homework. Brook, thank you for catching me when I fell and for pushing me ever higher. The Road to Amistad would be nothing if not for you.
Beth assumed that when I finished Detour from Normal, I was done with stories involving mental illness, and especially, Utopia. Fortunately, she survived another round of writing that in many ways tested her resolve, and unexpectedly, spurred her to write her own chapter for this novel, appropriately titled “Beth.” Beth, thank you for remaining at my side through thick and thin. You really are the best thing that ever happened to me.
No one listens to me ramble more than Tim. What a treasure it is to have a friend who doesn’t roll his eyes no matter how crazy my ideas seem. Tim, thank you for sharing this journey with me. I hope that you will continue enduring my rambling and injecting your own two cents for a long time to come.
Mom, it’s been a long and winding road, and you are one of a very few people who remained anxious to read this from the start. Thank you for never losing faith and for always being my cheerleader. I hope that it was worth the wait.
Lastly, I’d like to acknowledge you, dear reader. Thank you for taking precious time from your life that you will never regain to read my words. I wrote this for you so that you may look forward to the wonderful possibilities ahead. I hope that you enjoy every moment of the ride and are ever vigilant for your own messages from life.
OTHER BOOKS
BY KEN DICKSON
Don’t miss Detour from Normal, the true story of how an unexpected surgery and myriad medications propelled me into a high security psychiatric ward and set me on a course for Amistad. There, you’ll meet the real-life Beth, Carlos, Emma, Jessie, Nick, Tim and a few other familiar characters from my tumultuous and unbelievable journey through medically induced madness.