Chronicling the rise and fall of Tomas Zurbriggen, Cliff LeCleir's "The Making of a Man" has a compellingly complex vitality and strong moral center
LaCROSSE, Wis. - (Release Date TBD) - The rise and fall of Tomas Zurbriggen is an allegory of change, morality and redemption foretold. Author Cliff LeCleir, concerned about the devaluation of moral fiber in American leaders, molds his flawed protagonist into a person who represents all that is crass, corrupt and wrong in these leaders. The Making of a Man is one of those necessary fictions that seek to alleviate the state of society by embodying it in a sympathetic but flawed hero who struggles to find his moral balance.
Subtitled What Are Little Boys Made Of?, LeCleir's book gives rise to more urgent questions for its readers to mull over: Does the boy make the man? Was Tomas Zurbriggen's upbringing the basis for his lying, cheating and manipulating his way into the presidency of a company? And, is Zurbriggen's case true for the majority of men? By trickery and deceit, Zurbriggen sought to find fulfillment, to find his portion of the American Dream. Yet, as LeCleir pointedly shows, the American Dream is made up of the glorious virtues that made America the first and greatest of modern democracies. "Tomas did everything, both right and wrong, with great zeal," LeCleir informs his readers in the introduction. LeCleir's allegory ties in with worldly realities; and its moral depth and complex vitality will compel readers' interest in Zurbriggen's story from the start.
Born from morally solid Swiss stock, Tomas' life is carefully observed, as is his more recent family history. It is a background that is moral and Christian to the core. The virtues are observed in this society - virtues that Tomas, in growing up, slowly lets go of. The world comes in and takes hold of his imagination, one that has been tempted by "intelligent temptations" - logically, Tomas sees how he can twist the law, forget about morality in improving his lot and get away with it. It begins his path down into the parable of the prodigal son.
Zurbriggen rises high up in society, but his fall becomes a thrilling pageant of a human being dissected layer by layer, stripped of his material supports to reveal his core, the moral fiber LeCleir sets out to logically prove innate in Tomas Zurbriggen. It is a difficult, if not harsh task, a battle with evil zeitgeist, but Cliff LeCleir comes up with the correct equations and the philosopher's stone that guides Zurbriggen back into the moral fold that his misguided heart has longed for all along. Thus readers will cheer Tomas Zurbriggen on as he finally becomes a real man.
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About the Author
Cliff LeCleir's life began in the simplest of ways: on a Wisconsin farm without electricity, running water, or indoor plumbing. As a youngster, he was constantly involved in creating new ventures in hope of enhancing his savings account. He sold pony rides, raised chickens, using his savings to purchase a cow in order to sell her milk for a steadier income. From the sixth grade, his parents expected him to manage his money in order to provide his own clothes, school supplies, and spending money. After graduating from high school, he spent three years in the Army, half of that time as a topographer in Ethiopia. Returning to Wisconsin and civilian life, he married, began college, had three children, and began his first business, all in five years. At the age of 63, he began the fifth business of his career, calling it "his retirement project." Recuperation from hip surgery provided him time to contemplate another venture - writing! His writing is plain, down to earth, and from the heart. His first book, "From the Outhouse to the Moon," has stories surrounding the early days of his life. The second book, "Escape from Tyranny," is an emotional account of a young couple's escape from Germany in the 1790s. His third book, "The Making of a Man," is a rewrite of a character from ancient Jewish history, placing that character in a contemporary format. LeCleir resides in the rural township of Barre near La Crosse, Wisconsin. His hobbies include using his "toys" (a backhoe, bulldozer and dump truck) to create ponds and waterfalls on his land, cutting wood, teaching adult Bible Classes, and playing racquetball. Now in his 70s he quips, "I have a plan. When I'm 80, I'm going to slow down-I don't care what anyone says!"
The Making of a Man * by Cliff LeCleir
What Are Little Boys Made Of?
Publication Date: 8/14/2013
Trade Paperback; $15.99; 160 pages; 978-1-4836-7393-6
Trade Hardback; $22.99; 160 pages; 978-1-4836-7394-3
eBook; $3.99; 978-1-4836-7395-0
