Annabelle and the Sandhog is a heart-felt and thought-provoking exploration of the complexities of family relationships as seen through the eyes of three generations of O'Malley men. As the clan patriarch, John O'Malley, recovers from a stroke-and with nothing but time on his hands-he revisits his life as an unwanted child and his ultimate decision to leave home at age sixteen. He becomes a sandhog, that skilled but dangerous occupations of blasting into bedrock to lay bridge and skyscraper foundations. His son Mike, still harbors resentment for the constant relocations he endured in his youth. Mike's son, Tim, deals with the loss of a child. Communication is strained across the board. A simple tape recorder provides the catalyst to healing as John records his life story and both son and grandson begin their own introspective journeys. The author offers to his readers not only a lesson on what it was like to live and work in America in the early 1900's but one on life in general-a lesson that transcends the years
About the Author: Ray Paul is a former athlete having attended The University of Wisconsin on a football scholarship. He also declined a minor league baseball contract with the Dodgers to marry his college sweetheart, Jo Marie, and begin a career in the insurance industry with Mass Mutual in Rockford, Illinois. Fifty-five years later, he is still smitten by Jo Marie and connected with Mass Mutual. In the last fifteen years Ray has published five novels, Cabbage Requiem, Between the Rows and A New Season, his trilogy about the rebirth of an older gentleman. His book, Shards, contains many of his earlier published and previously non-published short stories. He has also written a novel reflecting on his lifetime interest in baseball, Heaven Lies Between the Foul Lines. Now his current title is Annabelle and the Sandhog, a Paul family memoir with fictional supporting characters. This latest novel is once again a testament to his fifty-five year love affair with his wife, Jo Marie. Since Ray began writing fiction fifteen years ago, Jo Marie has played an important roll in his success by handling the onerous task of editing his work. On the good days her efforts foster togetherness. On the bad days...well if you are, or have been married you can guess the answer. The exciting part is they are both happy with the final results. Annabelle and the Sandhog is being lauded by those who have read it.