Sea Change

Chris Bowen is the star quarterback at his high school and is attracting interest from college scouts. He dreams of playing in the NFL but can be indecisive in crucial moments during a game. After taking a vicious hit to his head, he begins to have hallucinations of a 19th century whaling ship and thinks he's going crazy. Afraid of losing scouting interest and jeopardizing his future, he doesn't tell anyone. His mental state worsens when a ghost, an old mariner named York, arrives. York struggles to convince Chris that he did indeed have a past life and it is affecting what he does now. Chris's disbelief finally dissolves after a tragedy occurs. Then he begins to trust York and ultimately learns why he sometimes hesitates during a pivotal play. Once he overcomes that hesitation, he's ready to move on to college and adulthood.

"Sea Change" is a gripping novel that consists of intertwined parallel stories, one an adventure that takes place 160 years ago, the other a tale of modern high school student life. Themes of friendship, the call of the sea, academic and athletic excellence, being on the cusp of adulthood, and preparing for the future run throughout the book.

Bruce Leaf is a retired newspaper editor who worked at Bay City News Service in San Francisco, the Daily Camera in Boulder, and the Rocky Mountain News in Denver. "Sea Change" is his third novel. The other two are "Fire Step" and "Pieces of Eight". He enjoys hiking and cycling. Bruce lives in Boulder with his wife, Barbara, and their dog, Ruby, an Australian shepherd/border collie mix.