Rocks, Logs and Concrete Blocks
Rocks, Logs and Concrete Blocks presented in fractionally fictionalized form traces four generations of the author’s family beginning with the latter 19th century. Requisite changes of some names and geographic locations have been made in the interest of protecting identity, innocence and/or guilt of persons living and/or deceased. Certain more painful events are purposely omitted; however, all events herein described occurred in the life of the author, a/k/a Ariel as they are set forth; not masked in political correctness or politeness.
Ellis Island, Gateway to America, was that door to opportunity for all four of Ariel’s Grandparents. They left familiar Swedish homes and communities, families and native language to carve out new lives in the new land; traveled to Minnesota, found employment and met spouses.
Under somewhat unusual circumstances in Minneapolis the sole surviving son of one and a daughter of the other met, whereupon Ariel’s tale began.
That Ariel’s birth parents both suffered mental illnesses was irrefutable:
One diagnosed, committed, released, controlled, the other devoid of professional evaluation, albeit behaviorally evidenced.
From earliest memory, guarded secrets, hidden whispers, ghost-wisps of reference, vague hints, silent questions perplexed the isolated, solitary child. She was to remain in the background, not seek attention, speak quietly and most of all, infrequently. Rationale for the insulation from peers was never clarified; just the norm.
Was there some deep unrevealable mystery lurking somewhere? Or, were adults in her life just different?
Did answers to family secrets, some perhaps generations old, exist?
Would she ever achieve any degree of emotional strength or confidence, financial security, personal freedom, or … find love? What was love anyway? Ariel was ignorant of that emotion in every possible manner.
What if fear and dread come to be clearly identified, and choice is reduced to flee or die?
Flight could allow survival, or not.
Trust is required. Can trust be placed in any human? In God maybe?
What happens when love discovered, is taken?
Can joy be found again?
Even love?
ISBN: 978-1-947191-58-7
Weight: 24 ounce
Dimension: 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
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Captain John A. Moktadier graduated and received his Bachelor's Degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. He has been flying for the past 35 years and currently holds both a Gold Seal Flight Instructor and Advanced Ground Instructor licenses from the FAA. Capt. Moktadier has four type ratings which include: Airbus 330, Airbus 320, Boeing 747 and Boeing 727. He has logged over 24,000 hours flight time with the majority of his hours in jet transport and wide body aircraft.
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He has flown around the world. Captain Moktadier served as a Boeing 727 Check Airman (TRE) and conducted rating rides, proficiency checks, instructions and simulator checks and line checks for over 10 years with a commercial airline in the United States. He has trained hundreds of pilots with no failures and well above average results. The pilots he has trained have lots of respect for Capt. Moktadier's knowledge and his training style made them feel relaxed during the entire simulator session maximizing their learning due to his teaching ability, honesty and integrity. They have all commented that he is a true professional instructor and TRE. This is his second book that he has published. The first one was Boeing 727 Flight Master which received many outstanding and excellent reviews and positive feedback from the professionals in the airline industry who read the book and it soon became one of the best training books on a Boeing 727.