1.
I see the devil smiling behind those who believe only they are right!
- A new novel by Douglas Kennedy, author of "The Big Picture"!

Douglas Kennedy, author of The Big Picture, which was a bestseller for a whopping 200 weeks in 2010, has published his new novel, Afraid of the Light, in 2021.
Douglas Kennedy is from Manhattan, New York, and has lived in Paris, France; London, England; Melbourne, Australia; Dublin, Ireland; and Malta. He has also traveled to over 60 countries, and has developed a wealth of experience that has led to his prolific creative work.
His novels captivate readers with vivid and detailed descriptions, distinctive characters, insightful and intelligent stories, fast-paced plot developments, and unexpected twists, making it impossible to put them down.
There are currently a total of 16 of his novels published in Korea.
Every time a new novel is published, it receives significant attention, and all of its works have established themselves as steady sellers that are consistently loved.
In particular, “Big Picture,” “Moment,” and “Temptation” have been bestsellers and steady sellers and have been loved by readers for a long time.
Recently, we are trying something new with the Aurora series.
Rather than her native United States, she is actively engaged in creative activities in Europe, and in 2006 she received the Order of Cultural Merit in France. Her works, “Big Picture,” “Dead Heart,” and “A Woman in the Fifth Arrondissement” were made into films.
Its popularity in Korea is so high that it has ranked 7th in total domestic sales over the past 10 years (Kyobo Book Centre statistics, 2019).
The issue of abortion, which is addressed in "Afraid of the Light," has long been a serious social problem not only in the United States, where the novel is set, but also in almost every country around the world.
This novel deals with the issue of abortion as its main subject, and will provide an opportunity to look into the reality of those who oppose abortion and those who support abortion, who are in extreme conflict and insist on a position that they will never back down.
Along with the issues of the gap between the rich and the poor, polarization, gender issues, environmental issues, and generational issues that have emerged as critical challenges of our time, the issue of abortion has long been established as a social problem that has shown serious conflict aspects.
What is most concerning about the abortion issue is that rather than sitting down at the negotiating table and trying to reach an agreement, the parties are not hesitant to resort to violence and terrorism to enforce their positions.

Christianity, according to its doctrine, prioritizes the preciousness of life, defines abortion as murder, and wages a movement against abortion.
On the other hand, various human rights and women's groups support and advocate for abortion, appealing to women's right to self-determination and the reality of suffering from unwanted pregnancy and childbirth.
People on both sides are raising their voices without giving an inch to push through their claims.
This novel depicts the fierce confrontation and uncompromising struggle between people from two opposing camps, each pursuing different positions.

In this novel, Douglas Kennedy reflects on the experiences and triggers that lead people to blind faith and belief, and why they take violent and exclusive stances to protect their beliefs.
It also shows that behind those who fall into the frenzy of social movements, there are always forces behind the scenes who seek to use them to consolidate wealth and power.
This novel reveals how those with money and power manipulate the world to achieve their desires and goals, plotting for eternal success and creating countless victims.
The novel's protagonist, Kelleher, a wealthy man and villain in Los Angeles, makes large donations to both pro-choice and anti-abortion groups, and cleverly manipulates people on both sides, which is very suggestive.

Why can Kelleher get away with kidnapping and imprisoning a minor, sexually assaulting her and making her pregnant?
If you read this novel, you will naturally find the answer to that question.


2.
Those who believe they have found the light are the ones who push the world into darkness.


The narrator of this novel is Brendan, an Uber driver.
The story unfolds as Brendan, a man in his late 50s, struggles as an Uber driver, suffering from relentless working conditions, minimum wage, and repetitive emotional labor.
Brendan has been working in sales for an electrical company for 27 years.
The company fires Brendan, citing inevitable downsizing due to declining sales.
Brendan was forced out of his job without any preparation for retirement, so he ended up becoming an Uber driver.
For him, who needed to make a living and needed to do whatever it took, driving for Uber was the easiest job to choose.

One day, Brendan picks up retired professor Ellis in his car.
After chatting about this and that, Brendan arrives at his destination, the hospital, and drops Ellis off.
Shortly after Ellis enters the hospital building, a man on a motorcycle appears and throws a Molotov cocktail into the building.
Soon a large fire breaks out, and Brendan, concerned for the safety of Ellis and the others inside the hospital, rushes to rescue them.
Fortunately, Ellis escapes safely, but from that day on, Brendan finds himself at the center of conflict and clashes over the issue of abortion without even realizing it.
This is because Ellis is a volunteer at an organization that helps women who have decided to have an abortion.
Brendan becomes close to Ellis and begins giving her rides to hospitals to help women seeking abortions, putting him in sharp conflict with those at the forefront of the anti-abortion movement.

Brendan's wife, Agneska, is a devout Catholic who goes to church every day.
She works for an adoption agency called Angels Assist and is also an active member of the anti-abortion movement.
Brendan's daughter Clara is an abortion advocate who works as a social worker at a shelter for women who have been sexually assaulted.
Even in Brendan's home, the issue of abortion is a serious source of conflict.
Agneska and Clara are at odds to the point where they can't seem to agree on anything, and Brendan is the one defending his daughter's ideas.

Father Todder, who appears in this novel, is an opponent of abortion and is also Agneska's spiritual supporter.
Father Todder, a childhood friend of Brendan, is a prominent figure in the Catholic Church and has close ties to Kelleher, one of Los Angeles' wealthiest men.
It was Kelleher who provided the financial resources for Angels Assist, founded by Father Todd.

The novel vividly illustrates the close relationship between Kelleher, the most powerful man in Los Angeles, and Father Todder, a leader of the anti-abortion movement, based on vested interests, and how they exploit the powerless and mercilessly turn away from them when they are no longer needed.
The law and the press always side with those in power, like Kelleher.
The powerless are like pieces on a chessboard, dragged around and exploited, and ultimately thrown away.
This novel reveals the reality of the injustice our society faces by contrasting Brendan and his family, who are always unable to escape the crisis of life, Ellis, who quietly practices good deeds after retirement, Father Toder, who seeks fame and fortune by leading the anti-abortion movement, and Kelleher, who has always manipulated the world as he pleased.

In our country, the issue of abortion is causing serious conflict because no social consensus has been reached.
Religious circles and some conservative groups still consider abortion a crime.
Dogmatic religious groups, those who blindly adhere to faith, ignoring science and reason, impose their claims and beliefs on the socially vulnerable and minorities, while also subjecting them to psychological pressure and physical violence.
The situation in the United States depicted in this novel is not much different from the situation in which some conservative forces, seeking to protect their vested interests, are lending their support to those opposing abortion.

In this novel, Douglas Kennedy details the harm and suffering that ordinary people suffer when the wealthy who have amassed enormous wealth turn out to be villains, and the absurd circumstances that lead to the need to take risks even when performing good deeds.
After working as a professor all her life, Ellis retires and volunteers for a charity that helps women seeking abortions without expecting anything in return.
Anti-abortion activists define Ellis, who hates no one and is hostile to no one, as their enemy.
Simply because we are helping women who want to have abortions.
Extreme confrontation and conflict inevitably produce victims.
Committing terrorism and taking the lives of others while valuing the life of the fetus can never be justified.
This novel depicts the situation in which people from both opposing camps do not recognize each other and engage in extreme confrontation, and those who have always enjoyed a dominant position have always taken advantage of this situation to their advantage.
Moreover, the novel persuasively depicts how social conflict affects family and individual life through the suffering and crisis experienced by the Brendan family.



3.
Why is it always the good people who have to be sacrificed?
- Plot of "Fear of the Light"

Brendan is an Uber driver in Los Angeles.
I've never had fun working in my life, and as a father, I've always taken work for granted because I have a sense of responsibility and duty to earn a living.
His father, a lighting technician at Paramount Pictures, insisted that Brendan attend college and major in electrical engineering.
Although my father worked exceptionally hard and survived, he suffered a lot because he had little education.
After graduating from college, Brendan followed his father's wishes and worked for an electric company for 27 years until he became a sales director.
Brendan married Agneska, who was doing dental scaling at the dentist's office, and had his first son, Karol, but he lost him to a rare disease called Sudden Infant Death Syndrome when he was nine months old.
After that incident, Agneska became more absorbed in church work than in her family.
After her daughter Clara is born, Agneska neglects her family because she is busy working for Angels Assist, an adoption agency.

Brendan, who was forced out of his company due to downsizing caused by declining sales, starts working for Uber to make ends meet.
Brendan is too old to find a decent job other than driving for Uber.
Uber drivers are emotionally taxed, and even though they work sixteen hours a day, they only earn a little more than minimum wage.
No matter how tired you are, if you take a day off, you won't be able to afford the fixed costs you have to pay every month.
One day, Brendan picks up retired professor Ellis in his car.
After dropping Ellis off at the abortion clinic, Brendan is having a meal at a nearby restaurant when he witnesses a man on a motorcycle lighting a Molotov cocktail and throwing it into the hospital building.
As soon as the assailant throws the Molotov cocktail, he gets back on his motorcycle and speeds away.

A fire breaks out in the hospital building, and Brendan rushes to the rescue, remembering Ellis inside.
Fortunately, Ellis and the hospital staff escape safely, but the guard's body catches fire.
Brendan brings a hose with water to put out the fire, but the guard ends up dead.

The police and fire department are dispatched to put out the fire and rescue people, but the abortion clinic terrorist attack leaves Brendan deeply shocked.
Brendan suffers severe trauma after witnessing a fire where a security guard is burned to death.
From that day on, Brendan was given the job of driving Ellis to the abortion clinic and picking her up after work.
Ellis is a target of anti-abortion groups because she volunteers to help women who want to have abortions.
Brendan unknowingly becomes an advocate for abortion, and is forced to become hostile towards his long-time friend and priest, Father Todder, and his wife, Agneska… … .



Foreign Book Reviews of "Fear of the Light"

In this novel, Kennedy creatively combines sharp social issues with domestic issues to create a dynamic and suspenseful story.
- Observer

A secret connection between religious fundamentalists and the wealthy, who exploit the fierce conflict and confrontation between those of differing beliefs to their advantage! - Daily Mail