Sadie's Secret

This book is the fictional story of one man's journey from agnostic concerning unusual phenomena into the realm of belief in the existence of the Big Foot in the swamps of West Florida. Inspired by the natural beauty of present day Myakka River State Park, not far from Sarasota, Florida, the story deals with human vulnerability to belief and how our natural propensity to adopt beliefs without scientific proof of their validity can be manipulated and used by others for their own purposes. The story is mostly seen through the eyes of Mike Byrne, a member of the local Palmetto County Historical Society, as he volunteers to interview the oldest known citizen of the county, Sadie Sutton. He gradually becomes convinced there is more to her distant past than what she is willing to disclose for the society records. He becomes open to the ideas of the speaker at a presentation sponsored by the local Almas Association where his suspicions quickly evolve into the belief that Sadie carries the blood of the DeBosi in her veins. As he struggles with his desire to prove his belief is true, Mike is drawn into the carefully structured snare of those who seek to use his belief for their own purposes. In this story, the end justifies the means in the name of a noble cause, and the swamp where Sadie has lived all her life is preserved. However, there is concern that belief, once encouraged and nurtured, may put in motion forces that will destroy the objectives of those who seek to take advantage of others. Jon C. Hall