The Forgiving Path to the City of Springs

A young, often brash Michael Kelley is a tough, South Philly man with a dislike for anyone who cannot push through the struggles life throws your way. His past was riddled by tragedy and a poor upbringing, which he has allowed to shape him, for good or for bad.

He finds himself in front of a judge who offers him two options. Go to jail to serve his sentence, or agree to do community service within the city limits. He agrees to the community service, but has no idea of what is in store for him.

When Michael finds himself in the Mudflaps Tent Community for the Homeless along the Schuylkill River, in the very city he was raised in, he quickly wonders if he chose wisely. He loathes the homeless with a bitter rage for all they represent in his mind, and now must help those same lost souls.

But meeting two men, Von, who resides within the community but doesn't seem to fit in, and Marcus, who works for a nonprofit that helps the homeless and seems better suited to live there than Von, Michael quickly realizes he may have misjudged. Now he must decide if he can forgive others in his life, or if it's perchance him he needs to forgive.

The Forgiving Path to the City of Springs (98,700 words) is a novel told from the perspective of one Michael Kelley, and at times reflects on a horrible past he would rather forget, but cannot, or perhaps should not. This book gives a unique perspective on finding hope, learning to see deeper and clearer than your eyes allow, and ultimately, granting forgiveness.