In Cry Heaven, Cry Hell, the author tries to open our eyes to show
that even with good intentions roads can be paved to Hell. The story follows three men who lived evil ways and then repented. Two
of the men die, but one remains to either be held accountable for what they all
did or to have their repentant behavior be figured into the yardstick of their
collective judgment. The three men are: 1) An Irishman who wipes out an entire
family and flees Ireland, 2) A descendant of an Amer-Indian ally of France, who
aided France in the French/Indian War, and who is seeking revenge against her
for a betrayal, and 3) An American Indian whose bitter life on a reservation
was interrupted by adoption into a wealthy Boston family and seeks revenge
against the white man by using the weakness of greed, just as the white man
used the genetic difficulty the Indians had for alcohol against him.

If we are, indeed, the guardians of Democracy,
then let us guard it and not fall asleep on our laurels or let the impersonal
doctrines of guilt and innocence that we invent to hide our anger from
ourselves take over the responsibility of making not only just, but also
morally responsible decisions; for all the decisions we make go further than
the courtroom. They enter into our professional family, and neighborly lives as
well. A truly thought provoking must-read.