This memoir recounts one father's struggle and grief to understand why his son Richard died of poisoning in Italy at the age of 33. It pieces together the circumstances of his death, but also honors and celebrates the life of Richard. Though traumatic, the author conveys a strong spirit to support his family, community, and the advancement of science.

Robert A. Gonsalves is a scientist and university professor, 22 years at Northeastern and 30 years at Tufts. His area of expertise is digital image processing, and in the 1990's he helped NASA fix the Hubble Telescope. Bob is a lifelong resident of Woburn, Massachusetts.