October 20, 2010

Author explores consequences of poor choices in bestselling ‘Fatherless’

By Julie Filby

In his series of novels “The American Tragedy in Trilogy,” author Brian J. Gail takes readers on a 40-year journey, from the 1980s to 2020s, of spiritual battles facing the Catholic Church.

“We have fathers struggling to be fathers, mothers turning to petri dishes to be mothers, and children that will be recreated in the image and likeness of man by men—rather than the reverse as recorded by God himself in Genesis,” Gail said.

The husband of 40 years, father of seven, grandfather of five, former semi-pro baseball player, and retired CEO and entrepreneur, draws on his own experiences to develop the novels’ characters. He shared one of those experiences with the Denver Catholic Register.

“We had three daughters who went through three Pre-Cana programs, in three successive years, in three different parishes,” he said. “We asked each after the program concluded: ‘Did they tell you about the dangers of artificial contraception?’ And they all said ‘no.’

“‘Did they tell you about the wonders of natural family planning?’ And they said ‘no.’”
Gail, who has homes in Pennsylvania and Florida, realized if this was happening to his children, it must be happening to others as well.

“There are more than enough brilliant books out there, summoning children to heed the truth,” he said. “I didn’t want to repeat any of that.”

So he decided to compose a story, creating characters that were wrestling with the consequences of poor choices, as they attempted to balance faith, family and career. It was his hope that these characters would attract young readers.

“In drawing in young readers I hope to share the bold proclamation of the ‘Gospel of Life’ and love,” he said, referring to the teachings and encyclicals of Pope John Paul II. “Who will make this bold proclamation, if not us?”

“Fatherless” has proven to appeal not only to young readers, but a wider audience as well.

“It’s astonishing to me that different generations of readers, both male and female, East Coast to West Coast, both professional class and what we might call ‘blue collar’ seem to find something in the book that stirs something in their souls,” he said.

He described the series as “truth disguised as fiction.”

“It is truth because it channels so much of the viewpoint, perspective and teachings of the great John Paul II, who galvanized the world, and inspired me and so many like me,” he said. “He was the ‘greatest of the great’—a gift not just to our Church but to the whole world.”

“The American Tragedy in Trilogy” is being published by Human Life International, a pro-ife ministry founded in 1981 that sponsors materials, conferences and mission trips to advise and inspire pro-life leaders, families, seminarians and students.

“They’ve done a superb job, not just for me, but for the HLI mission of exposing the lie of contraception and the harm it does to women and families,” he said. “I’m grateful to be a small part of their work.”

He indicated the trilogy, while honest and realistic, ends optimistically.

“The trilogy will end on a very hopeful note I assure you,” he said. “But by no means has the darkness reached a crescendo. By no means has it peaked in our time.”

Gail spoke to a crowd at Bonfils Hall on the campus of the John Paul II Center in Denver earlier this  month. In his lecture, “Fatherhood in a Fatherless World” he called on men, in particular, to teach their children to say “no” to self and “yes” to God.

To listen to this lecture, click on the following link: http://www.archden.org/marriage/LECTUREBrianGail_10.6.wma.