50 Hours by Loree Lough, Based on a Screenplay by Kevin James O’Neill

50 Hours

Written by Loree Lough

Based on the Screenplay by Kevin James O’Neill

Protagonist, Franco Allessi has had a few years of bad luck starting with a horrific car accident that he survived though his wife, Jill, did not. In his misery, he turns to drink and eventually ends up in court where his license is suspended. In the three years since the accident, Franco has gone from owning a landscaping business to driving a tow truck to a night in jail with a DUI, suspended license, and fifty hours of community service. He has hit rock bottom, but needs to work the fifty hours. He randomly chooses Savannah Falls Hospice, a facility within walking distance from the trailer he now calls home. On his first day at work, he befriends a young patient, Aubrey Brewer, a talented artist who is there because she has terminable brain cancer. Although Aubrey fights the disease, she also knows this is a war she won’t win. From her struggle and bravery, Franco learns more about friendship and how to heal from his own loss. When she asks him to help her achieve her last wish, he agrees though doing so puts him in jeopardy of serving time in prison.

Lough has created characters that are real yet flawed; who discover that friendship and respect can be found under the most difficult circumstances, and that old wounds can heal with the help of the right friend. Highly recommended for teens and adults.