Five Paths

About the Book

Five Paths is a companion novel to a nonfiction book published in March 2016: The Future of the Fifth Child. Both books are about international child abuse and trafficking. In Five Paths, five college students graduate in 2000, inspired by a professor to work in the field of child protection. They adopt different paths in their work, choosing careers in politics, religious agencies, cyberfinance, music therapy, and armed defense of women and children. They bond through their work on behalf of children and agree to meet every five years and compare notes, becoming closer over the years as the challenges mount in their chosen fields. Some are threatened with violence, while others struggle against political and bureaucratic obstacles. All five work to make a difference for the millions of children who are harmed by abuse, neglect, and international trafficking.

About the Author

Sid Gardner is a novelist who works with a nonprofit agency in Southern California. He has served in federal, state, and local government in elected and appointive positions, and has worked with children and family agencies throughout the nation. Five Paths is his eighth novel.