A riveting drama that dives deep into the intricacies of friendship and intimate relationships
A Moment’s Surrender finds Paul Bishop coping with the death of his close friend, Tom Corbin. When Bishop reaches out to his late friend’s widow and child to express condolences, he soon becomes a needed source of comfort while bearing a deep secret. Author John Burt has penned a stirring and evocative book exploring themes of life and death, love, loyalty and closure.
Paul Bishop and Tom Corbin were longtime friends, their initial meeting dating back to when both attended graduate school at the University of Connecticut. The pair instantly hit it off and often acted as sounding boards for the other’s ideas.
While Tom flourished in academia and became a published poet, Paul’s failure to grasp poetry hindered his academic growth. While at UConn, Paul began a relationship with a young woman named Rachel which was intense but ultimately flamed out after Rachel went back home to terminate an unplanned pregancy and Paul became emotionally distant.
By the time of their fateful conversation, Tom’s success has outshone Paul’s as Tom’s poetry has paid dividends while Paul teaches. Tom is married and has a son, yet he is considering abandoning them so he can rekindle a relationship with an old girlfriend. Paul doesn’t understand why Tom would throw away the commitment to a loving wife and a young son, but as the conversation progresses and Tom attempts to rationalize his behavior, it becomes apparent that Tom is seeking Paul’s permission if not understanding. The sense of disappointment in his friend’s decision is evident when the pair part, the end of a conversation representing a deep rift in their relationship.
But Paul wouldn’t learn what Tom’s decision ended up being because Tom’s life ends shortly after their conversation, Tom being the victim of a random robbery that ended in his murder. He travels to Corbin’s home and becomes a reliable source of comfort to Tom’s widow Susan and her young son Jack. As the duration of Paul’s visit lengthens, Susan begins to confide in Paul about her health issues. Paul has become a guardian of secrets, but the secret about Tom’s infidelity begins to wear on him—especially as he realizes his burgeoning feelings for Susan. A chance encounter with Rachel then forces Paul to decide whether his feelings for Susan are genuine.
Death allows for reflection, both introspective and extrospective. The untimely death of Tom Corbin does this for Paul Bishop. A Moment’s Surrender is a well-rounded, often heartrending narrative that explores the array of emotions felt in the aftermath of the death of a significant person in people’s lives.
In the beginning of the story, Paul has fallen short in life, a man who didn’t measure up to the success in career or in love the way his friend did. The resignation and defeat in Paul’s spirit manifests in the early stages of the book; there is little fight left in him. But everything can change in an instant.
The author deftly allows the shift in Paul to proceed gradually. Bishop embraces a vulnerability he once eschewed as he commiserates with Susan and befriends Jack. Much of the story is portrayed in sweet and tender moments.
At its essence, A Moment’s Surrender is a powerful book about love, friendship, loyalty, and forgiveness. A moving contribution from author John Burt.
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