The Gods of Second Chances - by Dan Berne (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Family means everything to widowed Alaskan fisherman Ray Bancroft, raising his granddaughter with help from a multitude of gods and goddesses--not to mention rituals ad-libbed at sea by his half-Tlingit best friend. But statues and otter bone ceremonies aren't enough when Ray's estranged daughter returns from prison, her search for a safe harbor threatening everything he holds sacred.

From the Back Cover

Family means everything to widowed Alaskan fisherman Ray Bancroft, raising his granddaughter while battling storms, invasive species, and lawsuit happy tourists. To navigate, and to catch enough crab to feed her college fund, Ray seeks help from a multitude of gods and goddesses--not to mention ad-libbed rituals performed at sea by his half-Tlingit best friend. But kitchen counter statues and otter bone ceremonies aren't enough when his estranged daughter returns from prison, swearing she's clean and sober. Her search for a safe harbor threatens everything Ray holds sacred. Set against a backdrop of ice and mud and loss, this debut novel explores the unpredictable fissures of memory, and how families can break apart, even in the midst of healing.

Review Quotes

"The Gods of Second Chances is emotionally charged family drama, but it's never sappy or sentimental--it's Alaska, where Hilda's Pharmacy has a selection of birthday and sympathy cards but nothing of the Hallmark variety. You could try faith and forgiveness in a few lines of canned poetry, but it won't hit anywhere close to home. The Gods of Second Chances is another story."
- Brian Juenemann, Register-Guard

"His debut novel, The Gods of Second Chances, is the story of a man overwhelmed by the things beyond his control: a granddaughter on the verge of adolescence, a daughter returning from prison rehab, a frivolous lawsuit, and falling for the one woman he can't have, all while trying to fish his living out of a fickle ocean in the mercurial weather of southeast Alaska. It's no wonder that one god isn't enough for him."
- Leigh Anne Kranz, KBOO's "Between the Covers"

"I love this story of a grandfather seeking help from any god or goddess who will step in, as he raises his granddaughter. When the child's mother returns from prison, the fragile family ecosystem Ray has established is shaken to its bedrock."
- Néeacute;na Rawdah, bookseller, St. Johns Booksellers

"Second chances abound throughout the story, from Ray raising his granddaughter in a second crack at parenthood to Jenny's attempts to get clean and Ray's multiple attempts to date a local therapist. Faith plays a strong thematic role as well, with Ray's sailor superstitions (the Buddha statue he rubs every time he takes the boat out, and the collection of deity statues he keeps around his home) and the conflict all this creates when his daughter returns as a born-again Christian."
- Jeff Fleisher, Foreword Reviews

"What a page turner! I could not put The Gods of Second Chances down, and could totally relate to the need to fight passionately for family and the life one has chosen."
- Laurel Rain-Snow Sandone, Rainy Days and Mondays

"The book moves at a beautiful clip, depicting how we can get hurt in family, using this hurt to defend ourselves against the world."
- Christi Krug, author of Burn Wild

"Dan Berne's The Gods of Second Chances could be a long-form entry in the FisherPoets fest; the book's protagonist, Ray, is an Alaskan fisherman struggling to make a living and care for his granddaughter, Sitka, who's been his ward since his meth-addicted daughter disappeared years before."
- Alison Hallett, Portland Mercury

"Can I just say. . . I loved this book. Rarely have I come across a novel that blends story-telling, drama, and great writing quite as well as The Gods of Second Chances. I confess--I bought this book for my husband, but when he fell asleep, I snagged it, and couldn't put it down. There are moments of sadness, well-paced reveals, lush landscape description, fantastic and honest character sketches--all the things I look for in a stay-up-all-night read. Also, the book itself is beautiful. You want this one on your shelves."
- Suzy Vitello, author of The Moment Before

"The Gods of Second Chances is a poignant and sad first novel, and we can look forward to more from the compelling Dan Berne."
- Norman West, The Portland Book Review

"It's the kind of book that pulls you through to the end with that feeling of 'I've just got to know what happens next.' The Alaska setting is vividly depicted in Dan's lucid prose, and his understanding of the family dynamics involved in the return of an errant daughter from prison to a family that is suspicious of her every move makes for a compelling read."
- Stevan All

About the Author

Dan Berne grew up in a working-class family in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked in his way through college, with jobs in drugstores, warehouses, U-bolt factories, and cement plants. He has been an active member of Karen Karbo's select writing workshop for ten years. Dan owns a market strategy consultancy and is currently writing a book on market transformation. He lives with his wife Aliza in Portland, Oregon. The Gods of Second Chances is his debut novel. More can be found at his website danberne.com.

Reid Psaltis, a native of the Pacific Northwest, works as a freelance illustrator while also writing and drawing his own comics. His work has been featured on Top Shelf 2.0, Study Group Comics, Trip City, Scout Books' Good Ink Series, among others.