Asher, A Fictional Biography

Asher Witham is a master at second chances. Born to poverty in a cottage on the upper slopes above Belfast, he becomes rich as a portrait painter for the wealthy despite enduring more than one man's share of sadness, hate, and violence. His hands are smashed almost beyond recognition, yet he struggles to achieve renewed control of a paintbrush. Shot in the back, he refuses to die. His home is burned, but he will not be downed by his enemies.

Against the backdrop of troubled northern Ireland at the turn of the last century, Asher is haunted by continued hatred but determined not only to paint his pictures but to help others lead worthwhile lives. He believes in the goodness of people when they are given a second chance. Women vie for his attention and his love, but when the one woman he desires is denied to him by class prejudice, will he ever win a second chance with her?