The Hartford Atonement
“A clear-eyed and even-handed take on the scourge of gun violence.” –Kirkus Reviews
Standing outside a church after a funeral mass for a student murdered in a shooting spree, noted Wall Street billionaire Emil Scordato overhears a U.S. congressman tell reporters: What’s the difference between a cyanide pill and an assault weapon? You can’t get your hands on a cyanide pill.
After visiting his grandson who lies fighting for his life in an ICU bed, Emil stands amid anguished parents in the hospital lobby. One shouts, Hey Mr. Scordato! What are you going to do about keeping the kids in this town safe?
His grandson’s coma, the death of 16 students, and these biting questions compel Emil to confront how he may be as much responsible for the scourge of gun violence in America as poverty and mental illness. Hadn’t his profitable investments in firearm manufacturers pushed up their share prices so they could hire heavyweight lobbyists to blitz the corridors of the Capitol and weaken controls over guns?
In an attempt to atone for his thoughtless pursuit of wealth, Scordato embarks on an unorthodox crusade for gun safety that risks hundreds of millions of dollars of his fortune in a bid to outflank a feckless Congress. From his close-knit Connecticut town to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and then on to Washington and testy exchanges with conservative lawmakers, he’s driven by an amalgam of altruism and guilt. In the end, he receives a reason for hope in his despair.
Philip Barbara’s novella The Hartford Atonement is textured with penetrating insights into the terrible truth about gun violence in America and suggests a way it can be addressed.
The Hartford Atonement is available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble stores. Published by Koehler Books.