His Name Was Ellis, by Joseph Libonati

When an irreverent, South Boston artist receives counseling from a renowned, Ivy League-trained psychotherapist, we are forced to ask: which of our characters is more mentally stable — the doctor, or the patient?

This story follows Zach Foster, who after painting a controversial exhibition on the Iraq War, undergoes therapy with the infamous Dr. Delano Pergo. While Dr. Pergo helps Zach step outside his tortured self and overcome his inner demons, Dr. Pergo’s psychological health deteriorates — a descent prompted by decades of guilt from encouraging his almost fiancé, Chiara, to rekindle a relationship with her estranged mother; a reunion that went tragically wrong and forever changed the lives of our characters.

In His Name Was Ellis by Joseph Libonati, we experience life’s bitter moments in a highly personal and reflective tone. Influenced by eastern philosophical and existential thought, the characters are symbolic of the yin-yang activities of the psyche. The book is geared for introspective adults of all ages.