Critical Mass

It is September 1996 when college roommates Dennis Carew and Curt Tobinesk realize they share the same frustration about academic life and the separate demons they battle every day. After they decide on a whim to take life by the horns, the young men set out in the dark of the night on an unplanned road trip from Pennsylvania to Delaware in search of Gretchen Sorenz, Denniss lost love.

The night is long and the road is full of secrets. To pass the time, Dennis relates the story of how he met, fell in love with, and ultimately lost the girl of his dreams. Curt has his own story to tell. This night marks the seventh anniversary of his fathers death, a loss Curt has never completely overcome. As the two friends trade chapters for miles, it becomes mandatory for both to finish their stories before reaching the end of the road, where Gretchen waits. Finding Gretchen will be hard enough. Winning her back may take a miracle.

In this tale of darkness, faith, love, and heroism, two young men, troubled for different reasons, find common ground in a unifying, magical goal that leads them on an unforgettable adventure to find the inner-peace they both so desperately need.


Dan Krzyzkowski attended Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in psychology. He is the author of the novels The Caller and One-Lane Bridge. A writer and fisherman, Krzyzkowski lives in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, and works for the US Postal Service.