George Arau

Lost Pigeons George Arau

Lost Pigeons follows the lives of two brothers, Chris and Michael, growing up in the San Fernando Valley in the late 1970's. One brother goes off to war, while the other goes into sales. The soldier comes back and finds luck winning the lottery, falling in love, and getting married. Luck, however, suddenly turns its back on him as he finds himself irreparably damaged in his personal life and the tours of duty, leading him to ultimately devise his own end. His brother is left behind, forever wracked with guilt and painful confusion, questioning his own capacity to have helped his brother before fate took full control of his will to live. This sense of helplessness and grief persists until he meets Ricky, a real estate agent turned homeless, who is in need of a brother. The novel brings to light the themes that plague our human experience: the fleeting quality of our own luck, the loss of a loved one, the loneliness engraved in our grief, and the redemption we often find in the most unexpected of places. Among the greatest underlying messages of Lost Pigeons is a deeper reminder to all to treat those who are lost as family and to not let your comfort zone dictate your reality. There is a wealth of hope to be found outside the realm of familiarity, once we step outside of ourselves and lend a helping hand to others. Our brothers and sisters are out there struggling with demons greater than themselves.