Our Book Review of Detour From Normal

Ken Dickson was in his 50’s, living an average life in the Arizona desert when he experienced some pain is his gut. He ignored it. A standard response for many people, and in this true story, it’s not so much the wait to get treatment that nearly killed him, it was the drugs.

The author’s story stands in stark contrast to what we see doctors for, treatment. Sure, he had surgery and marveled at how little pain he felt after finally having the procedure needed to remove a section of his lower intestine, but then things went sideways. He tells the story in plain English, no fancy footwork from a dancing boxer here. In real life he was just punching away, trying to make it to the bell. On the page, the words come to the reader as though they were chatting with the author in a bar. Old friends.

This book was published December 9, 2013, and runs 324 pages. More than enough to engross the reader with his plight, but the reader might not be prepared for the emotional and psychological roller-coaster that comes next as Dickson winds up in a high-security psychiatric ward due to his crazed condition. Again, it’s the drugs interacting with his body and his mind.

This is a well-told story of a man and his family trying to cope with a loved-one’s mania under a terrible set of circumstances, but Detour From Normal a good story, a true one, and one worth reading. And, it’s just 99-cents or free with Kindle Unlimited!