Full Circle: A Dream Denied, a Vision Fulfilled

by Theodore Jerome Cohen

Solly's dream is for his son Teddy to one day become a concert violinist. Eventually he comes to understand and to endure the heartbreak of knowing that the dream never will be realized. As Solly... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1449029140
• ISBN13: 9781449029142
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Authorhouse
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.53 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Full Circle Review

If you like stories that inspire you and make you want to win with every decision you make, Full Circle, is for you. Follow the life of a man, whose friends call him Teddy, as he tries to balance what others expect of him versus what he wants to do. Once he makes his first decision, it sets off a chain of events called life. The course has been set and it is not easily undone. Having chosen his path, he knows each move he makes is being scrutinized. Enjoy the emotional ride as Teddy tries to deal with it the best he can. You will feel as if you are on that obstacle course right along with him, worrying with him, and rooting him on. You want for him, what you want for your own life. Along the way, you'll learn some very diverse and interesting things about radio, communications and classical music. I highly recommend this book. It is quite an enjoyable read.

An enjoyable and informative slice of life

When parents gaze at their newborn child, it is natural to project their version of a good life for the youngling; a life of distinction and success, free of the disappointments and sacrifices that altered their own dreams. It is rare, however, that parental ambitions are accepted and fulfilled with enthusiasm by the offspring; rarer still for the parent to view the child's independent thinking as a positive step. This age-old conflict is explored in Full Circle: A Dream Denied, a Vision Fulfilled, a novel by Langhorne resident Theodore J. Cohen. "I certainly used a great deal of my family history, my experiences and interests, but I must state clearly that it is a work of fiction," explained Ted, though the similarities, experiences and career path of Ted Stone, the main character, parallel the author's personal history. As a young child, Ted Stone was instilled with the love of classical music by his father, Solly, and encouraged, nay driven, to excel in violin. Family priorities revolved around excellence in education and music, with hours of lessons, practice and performances which would place young Ted on the career path as a solo violinist. Sadly, this dream was Solly's, not his son's. Despite the pleasures afforded by the father and son's musical bond, Ted begins to recognize his own desires and to resent the time designated to the violin, preferring to explore the emerging world of electronics and amateur radio in the 1950's. After a triumphant concert that capped Ted's senior year of high school, where he received accolades and approval from all, placing him in perfect position to launch a musical career, Ted walked away from the violin and his father's dreams, forever shattering his relationship with Sol. It would be 40 years before Ted returned to music, discovering pleasure in the beauty of playing the violin on his own terms. Full Circle recounts Ted's journey; his fascination with electronics, the mystery and pleasures of contacting far-off operators through his single-tube transmitter, his educational, professional and personal journey. Most significantly, the self-published volume is a warm remembrance of growing up in a Milwaukee suburb in the early 50's when the future fairly hummed with possibilities. "My father taught me how this world was glued together, his vision on how things... items, society, the world... worked," explained engineer-turned-author Ted. "Dad always said `They can take everything away from you, but they can't take what's in your mind,'" Ted reflected, while Mother trumpeted "persistence; `Don't start something you don't intend to finish; and if you do start, give it 200%.'" With a multitude of footnotes that explain everything from Barber's Adagio for Strings to VHF bands used by ham operators, Full Circle is an informative and accessible story that will be particularly enjoyed by musicians, electronic buffs and those who delight in family stories. Experienced in publishing professional papers, Ted threw

A story with something for everyone!

Wow! This one kinda sneaks up on you! Firmly planted in the immigrant genre, it gave me a taste of both classical music from the musician's perspective as well as of communications and electronics from a scientist's point of view. At first I wasn't sure that I'd be able to understand the terms and subtle nuances associated with the language and descriptive material presented, but the footnotes made reading and understanding the story a "snap," and I enjoyed the story immensely. Despite the fact that the main character (Teddy) never spoke with his father (Solly) about his career choices, it's clear that a conflict of major proportions existed ... a conflict that took more than 50 years to resolve. In the process of watching the story unfold, I was introduced to a variety of interesting people in Teddy's life, all very real (the story is based on real events in the author's life), proving once again that truth is stranger than fiction. This is a heartfelt tale of redemption as good as any you ever will read, and only the most insensitive reader could come away without a tear in his or her eye.

Full Circle, A reader's review

Full Circle is a heart warming story of personal triumph. If you are a ham operator, you'll enjoy the anecdotes. If you're a musician, you'll appreciate the effort and sacrifice. However, if you are neither, as I am, you'll appreciate the final "conversation" Teddy has with Solly ... a conversation many of us wanted to have had with a loved one, only to learn that, for one reason or another, it was no longer possible. The anecdotes woven throughout the novel bring the characters to life. Some of the people we meet are from a far-gone era when children were on their own most of the time and parenting was about guidance and not about "hovering". It is a story about second chances, something that many wish they could have had at one time or another and one that Teddy actually was able to accomplish. The book contains ample footnotes, so even if you have no knowledge of communications or music, you can easily understand and enjoy this story of love and redemption to the fullest.