James Milligan

The Broken Mask James Milligan

The Broken Mask is a novel oftime and torment, from the Great Depression to the computer revolution. An epicdrama that illustrates the agony that each life depicted must endure and howeach does, or does not, overcome their personal successes and tragedies. Thescope of the saga sweeps across the country allowing the reader an opportunityto vividly imagine the beautiful grandeur. The Broken Mask tells aboutfamilies and relationships-about generations of blood connections, about arelationship between a boy and his father, his mother, and his grandparents. About two men with diverse backgrounds, and the pain and suffering each mustendure as the cards of life are dealt to each. Dirk Wescottwas raised in a poor family in Oil City,a small town in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California. While MatthewPurcell Jr. was born to an affluent family in Santa Rosa, a moderate size cityfifty miles north of San Francisco. Matt and Dirk are destined to clash. Book I details Dirk and hisfamily . The plot details their lives and the personal misery Dirk sufferstriggered by the tragic death of his father and his mother's illicit behavior. Book II tells of Matt, hisfamily, and his conflict with Dirk. Throughout the novel Matt tries to do morefor Dirk, and it isn't until Dirk's tragic death that Matt was finally set freefrom the burden of Dirk Wescott and his tragic life. While Dirk Wescottis overcome by the psychosis brought on by his jealousy of Matt and elements inhis upbringing that drive him to violence. Dirk is intelligent, athletic, andan excellent manipulator people until the walls come crashing down. Will the reader pity Dirk? Or bejealous of Matt, as is Dirk? Now, I present to you a saga of American lifecentered on the lives of two young men. Dirk Wescottand Matthew Purcell Jr. are not living beings, norhave they ever been alive. But, it has been my pleasure to meet and cavortabout with life's splendid people and the dregs as well. They don't, however,spring to life until the reader