How to Hotwire an Airplane

From the bestselling author ofSubmerged: Life on a Fast Attack Submarine in the Last Days of the Cold WarHow to Hotwire an Airplaneis ultimately a humane, provocative novel, one that refuses easy answers and asks readers to sit with uncomfortable questions about law, mercy, and what it takes to heal. Its combination of intimate character work and high-stakes sociopolitical conflict makes it both a page-turner and a conversation starter.In the spring of 2001, Hiram Bleeker, a lonely, guilt-wracked Vietnam veteran with severe PTSD, is holding a gun to his mouth. As he is about to pull the trigger, an enchanting woman who does not seem to be of this world introduces him to something that restores his soul—rescuing immigrants in the desert and flying them over the internal checkpoints of the US Border Patrol in southwest Texas. As he flies immigrants in his small plane and saves them from the killing dehydration and heat of the Texas desert, the darkness in his heart begins to fade. But when America is attacked on September 11, it succumbs to fear and hysteria. What was once a simple act of human kindness is now a serious crime against the state, potentially a capital offense. Hiram must woo the love of his life and elude the clutches of the Border Patrol while flying over the desolate and hostile plains of Texas. In this book,you will learn about the healing power of love, redemption through sacrifice, and how to hot-wire an airplane.Read more