Reviewed by Tom Gauthier for Readers' Favorite

“When we start to dig into our pasts, we discover we’re a combination of all the people who came before us … On this whole earth, there is no one person quite like us.” That quote from A Reason to Be is the framework around which author Norman McCombs tells the stories of generations of a family which carries a name created by one man who refused to be subjected to the whims of more powerful men. Those stories, rediscovered by the character, Douglas McCombs, trigger a fast-paced, compelling tale of the evolution of one man, but that resonates with each of us in our lives.

In the midst of a shattered life, Douglas McCombs is forced into discovering his ancestors, and, seeing his own life in the shadows of their deep past, he discovers renewal from the defeat of his own demons. He has two friends, one old, one new, who support and guide him and meld with him to heal themselves. We are swept into the tragedy early as we watch Douglas deal with the loss of his wife to Alzheimer’s. It has been a long, loving marriage and he has cared for her in decline for years. We are moved along rapidly by his friend, Mike, who recognizes the depression and forces Douglas in small steps to emerge from the dark. A chance meeting with the head of research at the library, Suzy Hamilton, sets him on a research path to learn about his name and past. What begins as a distraction turns into an obsession – for both him and Suzy.

The prologue is a riveting and bloody reenactment of the creation of a new clan in the Scottish system of the rule of the strongest. In the 15th century, “Big Thomas” Mackintosh creates the Clan MacThomas, and we watch the name migrate to Mac-om, then Macomb and McCombs, the roots of the family. The recurring themes of the story, rediscovered and applied to the lives of Douglas McCombs and Suzy Hamilton, create renewal and a surprise ending. Norman McCombs brings ancestry to vivid life. The premise of discovering that “…we’re a combination of all the people who came before us…” is worked into a story of tragedy, the depths of despair, the facing of personal demons, and then onto the path to a bright future. How Norman takes the origin story and molds it into a love story is masterful writing. The fast-paced delivery of a wonderful story is an understatement. Forgive the idiom, but it is like “drinking from a fire hose.” But the water is sweet, and the drink is refreshing. A fine piece of writing.