Book excerpt: Leonard James is on an extraordinary quest: to be a man of value. The outcast of a dysfunctional family, Leonard is perplexed and incensed by life's injustices, beginning with the untimely death of cousin Butch. Leonard vows to overcome the adversity in his life. However, he resorts to alcohol and becomes addicted after failing to free himself from his frustration and anxiety. Life events, some of which are of Leonard's own making, leave him a vagabond without direction. Disillusioned, Leonard wanders back to a simpler time and discovers what it means to be a man of value.