What You Should Have Learned on Earth

Book excerpt: Imbedded in this fantasy novel about death and life are many important life lessons for successful and satisfying living. The novel begins after the demise of Caleb Peterson. While alive, Caleb had been a staunch white supremacist. After his passing, his tortured soul undertakes an odyssey to learn what the living Caleb should have learned on Earth. His soul seeks atonement and forgiveness for Caleb’s prior violent behavior. In a series of adventures, his soul grows in understanding, tolerance, and respect for other souls. Caleb recognizes how powerful social pressure had been on molding his prior antisocial behavior, and how bigotry and discrimination damaged his soul. Eventually, Caleb’s soul teams up with the soul of a young black woman (Phyllis Tompkins) and they learn how to influence the behavior of living beings. In a number of Earthly excursions, the two souls encounter an assortment of individuals struggling with their consciences. They succeed in helping Phyllis’s younger brother and sister escape the toxic environmental pressures of Harlem by sharing with them critical keys to success. The book speaks to a kinder, gentler, more inclusive, and more compassionate life.