Nicolas Dubet is a naive simple man born and raised in peaceful Central France in a community gently recovering from World War II. After a very happy and innocent childhood, Nicolas becomes restless after the events of May nineteen sixty-eight that saw the death of his young love. He finds some solace in his journeys throughout Europe discovering new images that satisfy his thirst only momentarily. His naive visions take an even more rapid turn when he lives with an African tribe. There, he meets people of many definitions, from a strong, but peaceful young bushman full of surprising wisdom, to cruel mercenaries filled with regrets and violence, to gentle innocent pygmies who offer him nothing but tranquility after he barely escapes from an assassination rampage. Upon his return however, Nicolas never finds tranquility, as he slowly becomes the adult he had never really wished to be. He starts a second childhood in New England, discovering a new life and new doubts. Nicolas feverishly continues to Central America, the Caribbean Islands, China, and the Middle East. The strong invisible presence of his father, the ghostly touch of his father's hands offer him support whenever he comes across difficult, even dangerous situations. Later, he has the opportunity to return home to hear his aging mother reveal an unsettling truth. Along his experiences, his relationships, and the conversations he enjoys with many people from other lands, Nicolas Dubet slowly becomes the intriguing mix of Camus' The Stranger, Saint Exupery's The Little Prince, with a touch of Forrest Gump. (Trafford Publishing, $27.95)