Circle of Life

The third novel of the Joad Cycle, continues the story of Gil Rose, a reticent, immature teenager foreordained to change mid-twenty-first century America, which is governed by free-market capitalism—the corporate elite, who impose dehumanizing laws that replace morality with profit margins. When government troops destroy Angel Falls, Maine, Gil's girlfriend, Stacey Grant, narrowly avoids capture. She flees to Canada with former president Mark Rose, but their luck runs out and they are taken prisoner. Stacey manages to escape, though, and finds her way as a fugitive to sanctuary with terrorist Glen Omar Smith—who is desperate to find Gil before the government does. Using Virtuoso, he brainwashes Stacey into betraying Gil.

After Profit, Gil has split with Bree. He seeks anonymity in the industrial town of Hamilton, the former site of Detroit. There, he learns what life is like in a world where money is paramount. He continually runs afoul of city laws designed to minimize human interrelationships and maximize profit. As HomeSec closes in, Gil meets franchise singer Dyllon Thomas, who helps him and Queenie, a terrorist who sets him free. As Gil escapes, he is double-crossed by the person he loves most.

For more on the book and America in the mid to late twenty-first century, visit www.joadcycle.com.