Poor Richard's Lament is a sweeping philosophical and moral examination of Benjamin Franklin's life and legacy that takes readers on an extraordinary journey over the same ground Franklin covered in the mid-18th century when fate took him from Boston to Philadelphia.
In this compelling narrative, Benjamin Franklin finds himself in a celestial court where he is asked to account for his life's actions and inactions. As three celestial examiners meticulously dissect his legacy-from his famous virtues to his personal failings, Franklin is forced to confront the full weight of his decisions, particularly those regarding his family, his slaves, and the compromises he made in pursuit of success and ambition.
The narrative shifts to present-day America and a plot unfolds involving political manipulation, fiscal corruption, and moral bankruptcy that eerily mirrors the very issues Franklin is being judged on. As the two plots converge, the narrative creates a profound meditation on American values, human weakness, and the possibility of redemption.
Tom Fitzgerald has crafted a masterful tale that blends historical fiction with spiritual fantasy, challenging readers to consider not just Franklin's complicated moral legacy, but America's as well. Through exquisite prose and deep philosophical insight, Poor Richard's Lament asks the reader to embrace a refrain that haunts Franklin to the very end: ""though the hour is late, yet still there is time.""
Is there?
""A grand and gorgeous book! The pleasures of prose, passion, and intelligence pervade these pages.""
MICHAEL ZUCKERMAN
University of Pennsylvania
""A re-imagining of Benjamin Franklin you will not soon forget.""
WALTER ISAACSON,
author of BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: AN AMERICAN LIFE
""One of the most insightful looks at the full depth of Franklin available. Do not miss it!""
RALPH ARCHBOLD
author of BEN FRANKLIN
""A very well crafted tale, brilliantly researcher.""
ROY GOODMAN,
Curator of Printed Materials
American Philosophical Society
""Perhaps the most finely wrought fictional rendering of an historical personage since Tolstoy's Napoleon.""
MATT FITZGERALD
Author/Journalist
""An astonishing feat of imagination. Fitzgerald uses superb prose to reveal the character and soul of Ben Franklin in ways nonfiction never could.""
LEWIS TREISTMAN, MSW
""A powerful adventure in reading!""
TOM GIDLEY, LLD, PhD
""Written with uncommon love for and attention to language, story, and character; nearly every page sparkles with insight and wisdom.""
BAN NYO SHO SHIN
Buddhist Monk
""A tour de force! Poor Richard's Lament should be required reading in every high school and college in the nation.""
DORI HALE
Poet
""An incredible piece of work!""
WILLIAM MCKEEMAN,
Former faculty chair, Wang Institute of Graduate Studies
