Download the first 15 pagesIN a small Ohio college town, in the fading light of a winter dusk, 8-year old Ethan Hale, out alone, falls through the ice of a frozen lake.
Moments later, he is miraculously saved. But no one sees the rescue. And no one steps forward as the hero.
So when Ethan explains to his widowed young mom that a “birdman” pulled him from the water, family and townspeople begin to fill in their own blanks. Some believe the mysterious figure to be God, others believe the whole episode to be a hoax, while still others, his mother, Eve, in particular, believe the boy is losing his grip on reality.
The town bubbles over with talk of the event as Sam, Ethan’s uncle and the chief of police, struggles with unknowns and Eve desperately wonders what’s best for her son, ultimately sending him to a local psychiatrist. The psychiatrist, Ruth Conti, has recently returned to town to care for her ailing mother, Iris, and is anxious for the distraction.
In the midst of it all, Ethan is calm and steadfast in what he’s seen, even winning over his babysitter, Bridget, a punk-rock activist and outcast who is a student at the rigorous local college.
But as relationships grow and emotions reach a peak, Ethan makes a new realization that will have as much of a ripple effect as the last.
Lift is the story of what happens to ordinary people facing their individual faith and doubt, their collective hope, and what it might mean to be extraordinary.
