'Chance: Beginning,' the debut novel by Roberts Essex, has reached the Best Sellers eBook list on Amazon, marking a significant milestone for the first volume of a planned trilogy. Published in 2025, the book traces the life of Chance Brogdon, a boy born in rural Georgia and raised in the Savannah suburbs, through the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and Watergate, against the backdrop of mid-century Georgia.
The narrative spans the era from Presidents Kennedy to Carter, from the Mercury 7 space program through the introduction of the space shuttle, and from the Cuban Missile Crisis through the escalation of the Cold War. Essex, based in rural Georgia, said the story was written for 'the lonely child, for the man who carries his pain in silence, and for anyone who fears that the past defines the future.' He added, 'I wanted to show that healing is real and that no one is bound by their wounds.'
The novel draws on the textures of mid-century Southern life, from drive-in diners and jukeboxes to cultural shifts brought by rock 'n' roll and the British Invasion. It also confronts difficult subjects such as grief, trauma, addiction, racism, and violence, balanced by humor and the Southern storytelling tradition. Essex has said the book is semi-autobiographical, written under a pseudonym, and that the character of Chance Brogdon is based on his own life.
'Writing Chance became a way of confronting long-hidden ghosts,' Essex said. 'I hope the book inspires others through the trials and tribulations of one man's life, showing that anything is possible with enough optimism and belief.'
'Chance: Beginning' is the first of three planned volumes. Future installments, titled 'Chance: The Search' and 'Chance: A New Life,' will continue to follow Brogdon's story into later decades, exploring themes of survival, redemption, and faith. Essex has indicated that subsequent volumes will address his son's abduction and the aftermath that followed.
The book is available through major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Walmart.
