Chapter 1
“Growing Up”
1950–1976

Life is so amazing in that we always have a choice. Sometimes at the crossroads of life our choices are conscious and thought out. But for the most part, day in and day out, the thousands of choices we make without much thought are the ones that end up having the greatest impact on our lives; the ones that can determine our destiny. Sometimes, these choices can be as simple as crossing the street.
And this is how our story begins...

Chapter 12
“Italy”
2010

I stood in the doorway of the propped open front door contemplating my situation. The rain was now coming down harder. Gazing over a sea of black umbrellas outside in the piazza, I felt as though I were frozen in time. It all resembled a scene from an old Italian movie, and despite the fact that the scene was alive with energy, I felt alone and invisible, like an extra on the set without connections to anyone.

I stepped out into the rain and looked up. As the rain fell on my face I could only differentiate between my tears and the rain by the warmth that the tears brought to my cheeks. “What am I supposed to do now?” I cried out loud.

Chapter Zero
2017

Late in the evening on October eighth and into the early morning hours of October ninth, Sonoma County and the surrounding counties were experiencing katabatic winds, more commonly known in the area as the Diablo winds. These winds begin at higher elevations and blow downward, thus the name katabatic meaning “descending.” They are usually sustained at fifteen to twenty miles an hour, but this particular night they were blowing up to ninety mph. Wind alone does not start a fire, but ignited by downed or faulty power lines and fed by severe drought conditions, just under a dozen fires started within hours of each other in Sonoma County that fateful night.