Richard D. Greensfelder, a retired admissions director from Maryland, has published his first novel, "50 Parachutes for 72 Virgins," a work that intertwines religion, spirituality, mystery, and suspense. The title, as explained by the author, refers to a peace summit gathering 72 clerics and a futuristic escape plan for Chicago's Sears Tower, known as "Plan Z."
The narrative is a classic battle between good and evil, love and forgiveness versus hate and revenge. The protagonist, Archbishop Rooney, is a blunt, old-school figure who believes the world is drifting away from God at an alarming rate. He organizes a peace summit with representatives from various faiths—12 Christians, 12 Hebrews, 12 Muslims, 12 Buddhist, 12 Hindus, and 12 Atheists—scheduled at the Sears Tower's Skydeck just before Christmas. The summit aims to be a step toward global peace, but terrorists have other plans.
Archbishop Rooney laments the loss of what he calls the "God Old Days" (G.O.D.), pointing to 1963 as the critical year when prayer was inadvertently banned from public schools. He asks his sidekick, Fr. Tommy Schaefer, "Do you think 13 trillion 'The Lord's Prayers' would have made a difference? Damn right they could have!" The Archbishop's phrase, "Evil fills the void whenever God is pushed away," serves as a central theme, presenting the novel as a wake-up call for a country drifting from its spiritual roots.
Greensfelder, a devout Catholic, said he wrote the book to remind readers about what made "The Good Old Days"—love, sound values, truth, forgiveness, charity, and helping others. He hopes his stories will inspire readers to be more caring and make the world a safer place. The book is available on Amazon in paperback and E-book at Amazon. More information can be found at www.50parachutes.com.
