"I was hungry, seeing myself starving for want of something I could not define. I sought it constantly, sought it at every turn, searched every face I met for hints of it, looked everywhere I could conceive. I lost time trying to slake this unquenchable thirst, trying to satisfy an endlessly burning hunger. But in the end I knew precisely what I had been after all along. It is the folly of the young, part of their particular curse, to be so unaware, to be blind as well as hungry. To be in exile from themselves and not know they are away."
Haunted by lost loves and limping through a lifeless career, Conor Finnegan's discontent mirrors the restlessness of his grandfather Liam, caught as a young man in the crossfire of the Irish Civil War. Drawing from Liam's wisdom and courage, Conor seeks to reinvent his character and reclaim passions made numb by neglect and loss.
Through the Waters and the Wild addresses the timeless questions, "Where shall I go now? What shall I do?"
"Greg Fields delivers a rare quality of writing and storytelling with a tapestry of insight on the human condition. A treatise of self-awareness and journey of personal growth. This is the book that fills your cup and finds its way to your permanent shelf to revisit like an old friend. Fields's sensory writing is as spectacular as it is fluid. The narration is pitch perfect as the reader is guided invisibly into the fictional world with palpable realism. His use of literary devices is both stealthy and well balanced. A book you want to read out loud to your dearest. The plight of love, loss, honor, and redemption from despair and depression." -James Masciarelli, Author, Beyond Beauport "The story has the smell and flavor of Irish soil in it, and as I read I almost felt the dampness of the ground. . . . The Irishness of the characters shines through. Sometimes we can't get out of our own way." -Elaine Readon, Poet and Essayist, The Heart Is a Nursery for Hope "In Through the Waters and the Wild, Greg Fields, a master composer of the human spirit, cleverly kidnaps your imagination and propels it on an adventurous and highly emotional rollercoaster that spans time and space. From the cold shores of Ireland to the mean streets of Boston and beyond, Liam Finnegan seeks a life of liberty, happiness and love. Years later, his grandson Conor desires the same, but success for him is elusive. Realizing he is living in a hubristic dream state from his youth, Conor, just like his grandfather, must turn his life around or face a lonely and empty future." -Scott A. Porter, Author of Here They Come "Through the Waters and the Wild creates complex, yet relatable characters that are explored, analyzed, and understood deeply in connection with the depth of human nature. A truly beautiful and moving tale of the hardships that life throws our way, and how we as humans make it through hardships. Fields's second novel appeals to any reader looking for a truly fantastic story of love, change, and the harsh yet wonderful realities of life." -Emily Keefer, Author, The Stars on Vita Felice Court "Reflecting the depths of the grey Irish sea and sky, Greg Fields's latest novel, Through The Waters And The Wild, pours richness into the barren soils of the early 1900s Ireland. Somewhere in the intersecting values of grey, deep where the shadows of black swirl in with the hope of white, the story of Liam Finnegan's courage to hold to the fading sense of who he is crafts his embrace of a new future in America. Fields's framed narrative weaves the tales of generations from farmer to Capitol Hill, illuminating the grit and grace given to those of us who strive, suffer losses, and find ourselves at one of life's roadblocks. "With skilled precision, Fields treats his readers with imagery nodding to the connections we recognize. Words like 'So it had begun, this confounding dance between partners hearing the same music, interpreting it quite differently, and never touching' reflect the human experience of searching for a soul to recognize. Through the Waters and the Wild explores the rebuilding of dreams in order to shed a light on love's hope that rims a heart seeking communion with life." -Sharon Krasny, Author, The Iceman Awakens