In my former life, I travelled a lot. To twenty-six countries, twenty-seven states, and one territory. In all those travels, I have met a lot of remarkable people. People who have overcome handicaps, circumstances, and life’s impediments to become extraordinary people.
One such person is the protagonist of The Groping Gardner, Tomas Aleciades, also known as El Tentador. He had a promising career as an architect, but blindness appeared to end that path in his life. He, like most of us, fell into his life’s work more by chance than choice, but he transformed that bit of ill fortune into an amazing ability. The ability to use smell to replace vision.
But like most people, the most wonderful of gifts often comes with a price.
Aleciades’ price is to be misunderstood, distrusted, and exploited. By a society that cares little for the less fortunate, by spoiled teenagers, and by a justice system that looks for quick solutions to thorny problems.
It’s a situation only MacFarland can handle. It’s up to MacFarland to save one of the amazing people of our world.
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