Roberts Essex's debut novel, "Chance: Beginning," has secured a spot on the Amazon Best Sellers eBook List, marking a significant achievement for the first volume of a planned trilogy. Published in 2025, the book follows Chance Brogdon, a boy raised in Savannah, Georgia, as he navigates the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and Watergate. The narrative spans from Presidents Kennedy to Carter, covering events from the Mercury 7 space program to the introduction of the space shuttle, and from the Cuban Missile Crisis through the escalation of the Cold War.
Essex, a Georgia-based author writing under a pseudonym, described the novel as semi-autobiographical. "This story was written for the lonely child, for the man who carries his pain in silence, and for anyone who fears that the past defines the future," he said. "I wanted to show that healing is real and that no one is bound by their wounds." The book delves into grief, trauma, addiction, racism, and violence, balanced by humor and Southern storytelling traditions. Essex has stated that writing the novel allowed him to confront long-hidden ghosts and hopes it inspires others to believe that anything is possible with optimism and belief.
The novel captures the textures of mid-century Southern life, from drive-in diners and jukeboxes to cultural shifts brought by rock 'n' roll and the British Invasion. "Chance: Beginning" is the first of three planned volumes, with future installments titled "Chance: The Search" and "Chance: A New Life." These will continue Brogdon's story into later decades, exploring themes of survival, redemption, and faith. Essex has indicated that subsequent volumes will address his son's abduction and its aftermath.
The book is available through major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Walmart. Essex, now in his late 60s, has spent over six decades in rural Georgia. He and his wife of more than 30 years have four children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. The planned trilogy chronicles over six decades of events and decisions that shaped his life and the lives of those around him, exploring the intersection of faith, family, loss, and redemption in the American South.
The success of "Chance: Beginning" on Amazon's Best Sellers list underscores a growing readership for stories rooted in Southern history and personal redemption. As the first book in a trilogy, its achievement suggests strong interest in Brogdon's journey and the broader historical context that shapes it.
