Review of A Time To... by Ronald Louis Peterson

A Time To…..

By Ronald Louis Peterson

 

A Time To… is a story about Al Masterson, a baby boomer and a risk manager who worked in the World Trade Center on 9/11. As Tower One collapsed on him and his companions, he was taken away on a mysterious guided tour of his life.

He revisited his childhood in the ‘50’s when he had a hard time adapting to his New York City home. A teacher had rescued him from a disastrous year so he gave her a special gift; he couldn’t imagine how that gift would later impact his life.

In the turbulent ‘60’s, he struggled to become a man, but, his attempt to join a street gang led to a terrible loss that would haunt him for years.

His life drifted into the ‘70’s until he left New York for Ethiopia where he served as a Peace Corps volunteer. While there, he experienced a world full of fascinating people and situations. In the process, his life had purpose once again.

Jobs as a broadcast journalist and a public relations executive in the 80’s gave him a front row seat to social events that defined the times. But, he learned that high-profile glamorous jobs can be more trouble than they are worth.

At the end of his journey, thanks to everything he had experienced on it, he learned that love, faith, hope and charity all survived 9/11 and that his life would never be the same again.

The sub title of this book is A Baby Boomer’s Spiritual Adventures. That pretty much sums this up. It is a very well written story about what Al Masterson’s remembers about his life when he is in trapped in the rubble of the World Trade Center. He is caught between life and death and is brought on a journey of his life. He remembers things he has long forgotten about moments in his life that really defined who is has become. Many times he is touched and the feelings about those moments return. He is angered by others he was once friends with and hurt when he finds out they wronged him. But most of his memories were about him trying to do well for those around him. He left most situations not knowing if what he did ever helped those people out.

This is a great book and the meaning is heartfelt. My only complaint is that it could have been shorter. I usually love long books but only if the storyline is capable of carrying the length. The moments when Al is remembering his life were too drug out. The same meaning could have easily been obtained and I think with greater impact if it was shorter.

A good read and I will give it 3 stars. Very uplifting story about how if we all could realize the gifts we are given and to share them with those around us then we could really change this hard, brutal world.