Sometimes heroes appear when we least expect them. Thanks to author and physician Mark E. Klein, FRANKLIN ROCK (Greenbriar Publishing; January 12, 2021) has arrived just when we need him most. 

One-part Siddhartha and one-part Forrest Gump, undergraduate student Franklin discovers that he has been chosen. In one extraordinary moment—a brief but crystal-clear glimpse into the future—Franklin learns that his life is to be an adventure unlike any other. Professor Charles Niemeyer, a Gandalf-like mentor, begins to skillfully guide Franklin along his journey. But before he has the chance to teach Franklin what he needs to know, Professor Niemeyer suddenly dies, leaving Franklin a blank book with a remarkable title: Franklin Rock: The Man Who Fixed the World.

Now on his own, Franklin must navigate towards his surprising destiny. Along the way, he encounters some wonderful characters. A mysterious man named Govinda who seems to know more about him than Franklin knows about himself; Maurice Burnside, a humble, elderly cancer patient who teaches Franklin life’s most important lessons; Lori Constantine, a beautiful woman who can see his heart; and some of the greatest minds of the 20th century all make their mark on Franklin.

Franklin’s time-travels provide clues to his destiny. “If you pay attention, Franklin,” Professor Niemeyer tells him, “You can see the future in the past.” The professor’s words prove to be prescient.

Beautifully written, FRANKLIN ROCK is a novel of adventure, comfort, and compassion. It is a healing balm and a ray of hope in our darkest hours. As Franklin grows in understanding, so does the reader, learning surprising lessons about time, our world, and the meaning of life.

As Franklin’s best friend Henry Clay King explains: Franklin Rock’s story is a tale of hope and redemption, but Franklin is not the beneficiary of that hope and redemption. He is the source.

MARK E. KLEIN M.D. is a physician and author. His career has been centered on caring for others, whether they be patients, colleagues, or strangers. He is always a teacher, sometimes of new medical technologies to other physicians from around the nation and the world, other times of those even more important issues of life that none of us can avoid. He continues to practice medicine in Washington, DC. Franklin Rock is his third book and his first novel. He has four children, four grandchildren, and lives with his wife in the Washington, DC area. Visit him at markekleinmd.com.