Richard McCauley, a vibrant, affectionate, warmhearted soul, chose to live a stagnant emotionless life, and does so for seven years, after making the worst decision of his life at twenty-three years of age.
The reader, embedded in the decision Richard made, is most likely unable to understand or even accept his motives, even when slightly perceiving there may be something more.
As Richard's professional life soars, his personal one remains at a halt, and all would have continued the same if not for the sudden appearance of Crissy, his daughter.
When Richard goes back to his hometown in Kentucky to take care of his daughter, a special needs child, the memories of the relationship he had had with his elder brother, also a special needs child, and what this brother had sustained in him while growing up, help him remember who he was and initiate a yearning to find his way back.
The Ricky he was as a child, adolescent, and youth seem to burst out from friends, his wife, photos and flashbacks, many generously offered by those mentioned. The way Richard's co-workers describe him is also an eye-opener to the reader indicating there is much more than what is initially discerned or that even Richard understands about himself.
However, it's his daughter, able to see the Ricky within since the very beginning, who ultimately pushes, without realizing it, to bring out all that was buried inside him, bringing him back to life.
The thread of the book, the underlying question of whether it's truly possible to go back to what one was, one's essence, and find one's self after seven years, takes the reader to search for the answer, while at the same time it transcends before their very eyes as each page unfolds.
Can one's essence stay lost and buried forever? Does it really disappear? Or does it simply remain vibrant in a softer tone until ready to regain its brilliance once more?
The answer can be found in SWEPT AWAY A Story of Just Because.
