Along the Watchtower is a combination of fantasy and contemporary fiction that tells the story of an Iraqi war veteran's physical and emotional healing. Parallel to the story of Frank defeating his inner demons in a hospital in America is that of a dauphin's trials in a fantasy world. Prince Frederick must pass a series of mystical trials before he can become King, and if he fails, the Kingdom will loose its protective magic and fall to the enemy. In the fantasy world, magic is real, but Frederick does not have any to help him; he must overcome his trials - which cannot be won by sword or dagger - by himself and not fall prey to the assassin who thrives on despair. Frank does not have magic either, but he has Becky, the physical therapist with the magic hands and cheerful, ever-hopeful personality. Frank has a similar goddess to help him; his is in the form of the gardener. The mysteries that Frederick must solve are metaphors for Frank's psychological conundrum, so when Prince … [Read more...]