“We are stewards of something in humankind that our civilization no longer fosters: the awareness that we are more than our bodies, that the human mind and spirit is a tangible force that is no less real for being nonphysical. This awareness is a flame that must not be allowed to die.”

When starship captain Jesse Sanders is seized by a dictatorial medical regime and detained on the colony planet Undine, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a bewildering new life that will involve ordeals and joys beyond anything he has ever imagined, as well as enduring love. Still less does he suspect that he must soon take responsibility for the lives of people he has come to care about and the preservation of their hopes for the future of humankind.

This controversial novel deals with government-imposed health care, with end-of-life issues, and with the so-called “paranormal” powers of the human mind. Despite being set in the distant future on another world, it is not intended just for science fiction fans and will appeal to a wide range of readers who question the dominant medical philosophy of today’s society or who value personal freedom of choice.