Robert Dilallo

Turning To The Sun Robert Dilallo

Turning To The Sun, a novel that traces the passionate love affair of two very appealing young people in the years 1969 to 1971, high tide of the counter culture era. We don't meet them again until 2009, four decades later. The story examines the intervening 40 years of their disjointed lives, their failures, small professional and parenting victories, and their reconciliation and renewal that comes to a surprising conclusion. The persistent importance of family and friends, and the struggle to preserve traditions in a world where change continues to rapidly accelerate figure prominently. Aside from examining individual lives (and problems) - distant past, middle past and present - Turning To The Sun explores the meaning of a moment in time that has been both lionized and vilified. It attempts to put some perspective on what the period meant then and what it means now. It is foremost a romantic tale but with a distinctly political and social spin. Although the era circled tightly around the Vietnam War most novels tend to neglect how the period's events and sea changes affected everyday people trying to become adults. Even as they age, the chief characters are progressive, artistic and eccentric. Although a "serious" book, it treats interpersonal relationships and problems humorously. The action is set in New York, Boston/Cambridge, as well as Paris. While the time and story are of great interest to the millions of readers who lived their young years in the Sixties, the plot and characters have per force a universal appeal. In fact, one quite important 23-year-old woman brings a modern perspective.