by John Doerr
First published 2024
Johnny grows up in an abusive household, carrying emotional scars into his service as a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War. The bombing missions leave him with deeper trauma that he drowns in alcohol for years. At forty, his drinking reaches a breaking point. Johnny chooses recovery over escape. He gets sober and retires from the United States Air Force, then flies commercial aircraft for American Airlines until retiring as Captain. His sober journey takes him through spiritual awakenings, workshop facilitation, and yoga practice at an Indian Ashram. Johnny transforms from a damaged warrior into a man who helps others heal. His path reveals how someone can move from violence and pain toward compassion and inner peace.
Genres: american-fiction, addiction, abuse, 20th-century, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, redemption-arc
Setting: Vietnam, United States, India
Period: 20th Century, 21st Century
516 pages · Paperback · John Doerr
Content warnings: abuse, addiction, alcohol-abuse, depression, mental-illness