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The Resurrection of Boraichee : A Novel about a Family Caught in the Opioid Crisis
In a world as fast paced and crazy as this one, it is easy to lose perspective on what s really happening and even more importantly, what really matters. Sidney Lament never learned those things during his busy life as a college professor, but upon his death Fate has decided to give him another chance to understand the meaning of life. There is only one problem - this time he has to do it as a female dog. This hilarious, but often poignant book is written from the perspective of a dog that has already experienced life as a highly regarded human being, which society deemed both responsible and successful. It is amazing what you can miss when you are running the rat race, even if you are a pretty good runner. This time around Sydney (with a Y now a female) gets to see things from a different point of view. Not only is he now a canine who remembers being a highly functional man, but he belongs to a family that is deeply torn and marred by the effects of the opioid crisis. As they fight to regain Matt, the loving son they once knew, their struggle only immerses them further in the quicksand of the opioid addiction that has swept across America in the last decade. Watching Matt slip away, they try every option until they too become trapped in the dysfunctional world that is slowly killing their beloved. The opioid epidemic kills more people in America than gun violence, car crashes or Aids. Two hundred people die from overdoses every day. To most of us that s just a number, but for the family and friends of the more than 68,000 who died last year, it is far more than that. And for Sidney Lament, living a dog s life in a family desperately clinging to the love that had once held them together as their world crashes around them, the experience is heart transforming. Sometimes if you keep your ears open and your tail wagging you can learn a lot more at the bottom than you can at the top!
347 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2020
About the author
William Natale
8 books14 followersWilliam (Bill) Natale, is an Emmy-Award winning producer/director and executive member of the Directors Guild of America Midwest Council. Natale has served as the Executive Director of the Illinois Center for Broadcasting; Executive Producer of Internet Streaming Corporation and Executive Producer of WATCH312.COM. Natale currently has a new book, "The Resurrection of Boraichee," that is now available via KINDLE/AMAZON and Anderson Book Shops in Chicago area. This new book is in addition to "Woolly Wurm," (a children's book) and "1968-A Story As Relevant Today As It Was Then," which is based in part of a true story during the race riots of 1968 following the assassination of Dr. MLK.
Natale has worked as a freelance broadcast professional in various capacities for media outlets, including radio stations: WXRT, WGN and Spanish language WSBC as well as TV stations: WGN, WMAQ, WTTW, WFLD, WLS, WBBM, WYCC, WJYS, WKYC, WIFR, WTMJ, WVTV and Spanish language WGBO.
Natale served for over 4 years as president of the board of directors for PanAmerica Performance Works Theater Company (formerly Latino Chicago Theater Company). He has served as a member of the board of directors for the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Television Arts & Sciences and as Chairman of the Broadcast Promotion & Marketing Executives Association. Bill has taught television production at both Columbia College of Chicago and the Illinois Center for Broadcasting, Lombard Campus.
Natale continues from time to time to do work as a producer/director in addition to his work as the Regional Executive Director for the Illinois, Ohio, Miami & Colorado Centers for Broadcasting. Recently, PBS aired over 224 public TV stations, the documentary, "Water Pressures," dealing with the global water crisis, hosted by Adian Grenier (star of HBO's Entourage) and directed by Natale. Principal photography was done in Chicago, New York, D.C., and India. Bill Natale also serves as a consulting producer for The Moochie Kalala Detective Show, a WTTW/PBS educational science series for children, produced by Dreaming Tree Films, starring Tim Kazurinsky. Natale has also served as a consulting producer for the latest Dreaming Tree Films feature (Regency release) entitled, "Traveling Without Moving," starring Steve Guttenberg and Harry Lennix.
Natale is a resident of Illinois.
Natale has worked as a freelance broadcast professional in various capacities for media outlets, including radio stations: WXRT, WGN and Spanish language WSBC as well as TV stations: WGN, WMAQ, WTTW, WFLD, WLS, WBBM, WYCC, WJYS, WKYC, WIFR, WTMJ, WVTV and Spanish language WGBO.
Natale served for over 4 years as president of the board of directors for PanAmerica Performance Works Theater Company (formerly Latino Chicago Theater Company). He has served as a member of the board of directors for the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Television Arts & Sciences and as Chairman of the Broadcast Promotion & Marketing Executives Association. Bill has taught television production at both Columbia College of Chicago and the Illinois Center for Broadcasting, Lombard Campus.
Natale continues from time to time to do work as a producer/director in addition to his work as the Regional Executive Director for the Illinois, Ohio, Miami & Colorado Centers for Broadcasting. Recently, PBS aired over 224 public TV stations, the documentary, "Water Pressures," dealing with the global water crisis, hosted by Adian Grenier (star of HBO's Entourage) and directed by Natale. Principal photography was done in Chicago, New York, D.C., and India. Bill Natale also serves as a consulting producer for The Moochie Kalala Detective Show, a WTTW/PBS educational science series for children, produced by Dreaming Tree Films, starring Tim Kazurinsky. Natale has also served as a consulting producer for the latest Dreaming Tree Films feature (Regency release) entitled, "Traveling Without Moving," starring Steve Guttenberg and Harry Lennix.
Natale is a resident of Illinois.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 17, 2020
Offbeat and clever, there is something soap-like about this fly-on-the-wall tragi-comic drama as, in what appears to be an effort to teach him loyalty and devotion, a womanizing English Lit professor is reincarnated as the world’s most articulate dog. Through the dog’s perceptive eyes and sharp narration, we watch unfold the tale of the American anti-dream; an otherwise good-hearted and decent family blighted by hard drug addiction and mental illness. A generally well-written book, with a great concept; William Natale is a clearly very smart, well-educated author, who knows a great deal about his subject matter, and undoubtedly has something real to say about it – added to this, it is interesting to read the characters’ realistic banter and discoursing in their Chicago vernacular. They’re not bad people; just a mish-mash of souls trying to get through life, as they discuss relationships, family, work and navigate their way through the increasingly prominent drug-related legal problems. Sydney (the dog) delivers his objective account of events with a genuine air of affection, and right from the outset you can see that this book is in part Natale’s love-letter to man’s best friend.
For the first half, the ensemble cast seem to interact a little hap-hazardly; it feels like improv-drama, so don’t be expecting a particular conceivable line of narrative as such – it is simple slice-of-life, and as the reader, you are trying to keep in touch. I will be honest, it is long, and sometimes it does feel like a prolonged effort is required to keep track of what is going on, as it seems to continuously digress; you certainly need to be on the author’s plane to fully benefit from the experience. Whilst eloquent and articulate, there is a scattergun feel, and the longer it continues, the more it begins to feel like an off-centre monologue. There is an obvious vein of genuine quality in Natale’s work, and enormous poignancy in this book specifically – as the second half brings the book into a more coherent shape – sadly, though, this may be distracted from by the many layers of offbeat monologue.
There is an ongoing issue with punctuation, particularly commas, which it was at times crying out for. Otherwise, though, Natale’s use of language is proficient and professional. Personally, I would have liked to see it more focused and accomplished; more acutely highlighting the storyline of its main characters, rather than digressing as much as it did – but, it is very clear to see that there is a real spark of quality in Natale, and I would be interested to see how it develops.
For the first half, the ensemble cast seem to interact a little hap-hazardly; it feels like improv-drama, so don’t be expecting a particular conceivable line of narrative as such – it is simple slice-of-life, and as the reader, you are trying to keep in touch. I will be honest, it is long, and sometimes it does feel like a prolonged effort is required to keep track of what is going on, as it seems to continuously digress; you certainly need to be on the author’s plane to fully benefit from the experience. Whilst eloquent and articulate, there is a scattergun feel, and the longer it continues, the more it begins to feel like an off-centre monologue. There is an obvious vein of genuine quality in Natale’s work, and enormous poignancy in this book specifically – as the second half brings the book into a more coherent shape – sadly, though, this may be distracted from by the many layers of offbeat monologue.
There is an ongoing issue with punctuation, particularly commas, which it was at times crying out for. Otherwise, though, Natale’s use of language is proficient and professional. Personally, I would have liked to see it more focused and accomplished; more acutely highlighting the storyline of its main characters, rather than digressing as much as it did – but, it is very clear to see that there is a real spark of quality in Natale, and I would be interested to see how it develops.
March 4, 2021
A heartbreaking topic/story told from a wild, new perspective - the dog. A family trying to survive the struggles of life and the impact and spiral cause by opioid addiction. Well written with fully developed characters that are relatable in their flaws.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews